Ebbrell joins Everton coaching staff

, 9 March, 49comments  |  Jump to most recent
John Ebbrell has returned to Everton as an Academy coach, joining the collection of former players now on the staff at Finch Farm charged with bringing through the club's future talent.

Ebbrell returns to the Blues, for whom he made 250 appearances in the mid- to late-1990s, having left a similar role at Tranmere Rovers. A member of the famed Dogs of War side that successfully battled relegation and won the FA Cup under Joe Royle in 1994-95, Ebbrell came through the ranks at Everton and was a first-team player for a decade before leaving for Sheffield United. He was forced to retire shortly afterwards, though, due to an ankle injury.

Tranmere's Head of Youth Development, Shaun Garnett expressed his gratitude to Ebbrell, saying.

"John has been with the academy for the last 5 years and was an important member of the team that allowed us to achieve our Category 3 status 2 years ago and has worked extremely hard to improve the academy. We all wish John the best of luck in the next chapter of his coaching career."

Quotes sourced from Liverpool Echo



Reader Comments (49)

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Peter Bell
2 Posted 09/03/2015 at 15:50:57
What is it with bringing back the old boys brigade? And before anyone comes on going on about crap about McMahon and a broken leg, McMahon broke his own leg trying to do Ebrell, nothing to to with Ebrell at all.
Steven Telford
3 Posted 09/03/2015 at 15:59:59
I’m still celebrating from Stubbs leaving.
Kevin Tully
5 Posted 09/03/2015 at 16:36:00
I know a lot of clubs employ ex-players and it’s good to see we are looking after our own. But are we being too sentimental?

I somehow get the feeling these ex-players are employed because of the links with club, rather than because of their expertise. I couldn’t tell you if they are any good or not, but shouldn’t we be looking outside the club if we want to progress?

Chris Gould
6 Posted 09/03/2015 at 16:44:11
He’ll be one of many Academy coaches. For all we know he may be with the U7’s. No need to assume he’ll have a negative effect on any potential first teamers, and just because he wasn’t a great player doesn’t mean he’ll make a poor coach. I think people are finding negatives in everything right now. Which is perfectly understandable, but perhaps not rational.
Darren Bailey
7 Posted 09/03/2015 at 16:36:59
I think the comments so far a bit harsh. He played for us for over a decade and managed over 200 appearances. But it’s not about how good a player he was it’s about how good a coach he is (or can be). Some of the best coaches were crap at playing and for anyone commenting without knowing what he can bring to club is jumping the gun. It can only be a good thing as it’s showing that we still want and need to develop the structure of the club by bringing in more coaches to help acheive this goal.

From what I can tell he’s been a scout, an agent and a coach so his knowledge of the game, what to look for in a player and what their needs are should all be covered.

And we did look outside the club for our current manager and look where that’s got us!

Barry Stevens
8 Posted 09/03/2015 at 17:09:33
Nowhere near as bad a player as people make out. Broke through as a youngster, when it was a lot harder than in today’s game. Played with injuries to help the team out, and was shunted from position to position.

As for old boys coming on the payroll, I’m all for it if they meet the criteria required.

Kevin Elliott
9 Posted 09/03/2015 at 17:25:15
Peter (1), Mourino wasn’t much of a player either.
Declan Brown
10 Posted 09/03/2015 at 17:43:26
Let me be the first one to say it: Welcome home, John.
Kevin Elliott
11 Posted 09/03/2015 at 17:44:10
Well said Declan.
John Gee
12 Posted 09/03/2015 at 17:42:11
I remember Ebrell being touted as a future England captain after a couple of games. He was going to be our Bryan Robson. Take note young Ross.
Alexander O'Brien
13 Posted 09/03/2015 at 18:00:07
He played at the highest level with over 200 games for the club! Great players are not necessarily great coaches and vice versa. Give the lad a chance and I’m sure he wouldn’t have been acquired if he wasn’t suitable. Was Ruud Gullit a great coach?
Rahul Sreekumar
14 Posted 09/03/2015 at 18:05:35
Precautionary measure in case Unsworth needs to be bumped up to first team duties?

I don’t have anything bad to say about him though...

Mark Frere
15 Posted 09/03/2015 at 18:14:35
Barry (8) I thought he was a dreadful player... and I don’t know how you come to the conclusion it was harder to breakthrough as a young player in those days? There wasn’t as many foreign players in the PL back then and the teams playing in Europe were only allowed to field 3 foreign players. So it was much easier for younger players back then.

As already mentioned though, good players don’t necessarily make good coaches.

Oh, and welcome home, John.

Andrew James
16 Posted 09/03/2015 at 18:07:22
I liked him I just thought he played for us at the wrong time. Started out as a classy centre midfielder in Kendall's Lilliput Everton when he was England u21 captain but within 3 years the team was a mess and he was reinvented as a ball winning midfielder by Royle and played right across the middle.

Being one of our longest serving players, he then got dropped for the Cup Final and no space could be found on the bench for him (with smaller selections Royle went with more attacking options) so he didn't get a medal.

Then over the next couple of seasons he, Hinchcliffe and Parkinson all got injuries which forced them to retire somewhat earlier than you would have expected.

I find the negative comments quite pathetic to be honest. Totally unnecessary.

Trevor Peers
17 Posted 09/03/2015 at 18:15:35
Lots of ex-players now on our coaching staff and it does make you wonder why. Is it because they have talent or is Roberto trying to be popular? Time will tell.
Colin Oakes
18 Posted 09/03/2015 at 18:32:25
When is Tony Grant coming back then?
Peter Gorman
19 Posted 09/03/2015 at 18:40:26
I like John Ebrell. He is an Evertonian.

Our club should be giving his like a chance. He was a worker as a player and came across as a pretty intelligent man off the pitch so I wouldn't be at all surprised if he is a success. Welcome back indeed.

Peter Gorman
20 Posted 09/03/2015 at 18:44:17
Oh, as for Tony Grant, would love him to come back and show the players how to thread a killer pass.
Ged Simpson
21 Posted 09/03/2015 at 19:08:27
More crap from crap teams making up our staff.
Brian Hennessy
22 Posted 09/03/2015 at 19:02:52
It's not so much that the Academy needs a new coach, it's the first team I am worried about.

I'm really sorry for bringing RM into a thread that has little to do with him, but the only reason I check the news these days is in the hope that by some miracle he is sacked.

Craig Mills
24 Posted 09/03/2015 at 19:10:54
Good call on Tony Grant, Peter.
Nick Entwistle
25 Posted 09/03/2015 at 19:24:44
Remember Barry Davies saying during a match in which Ebrell made a hash of a shot on goal...

'It maybe one thing coming from the FA's School of Excellence, but they didn't teach him to shoot with his left foot'.

Barry Stevens
26 Posted 09/03/2015 at 19:21:46
Mark 15. If my memory serves me right, Ebbrell made his debut around 1986-87 in the full members cup under HK Mk 1. The only other youngster we had anywhere near the first team was Neil Adams.

It was like that at most clubs then. The squads were smaller and most players played in every game. A 23-year-old was classed as a young player in those days. Now players have played 100 odd games by that stage in their careers.

Mark Frere
27 Posted 09/03/2015 at 20:10:28
He may have made his debut then, Barry, but he didn't become anything like a regular first team player until the early nineties when we were fully in decline. Ebbrell was mediocre as were many of the players which replaced the great side of the mid-eighties.

I still maintain, young players had a better chance of breaking through back then because teams didn't shop abroad as much as they do now. The England squad today, is full of players that can't even get into their own clubs first team. Nowadays, it's all about buying foreign imports and bollocks to the academy.

Sid Logan
28 Posted 09/03/2015 at 20:18:34
I have to admit to a certain unease about so many of the new recruits to our back room staff all tending to be ex players.

It's as if an alien spaceship lands with a view to conquering the planet so the first thing their Commander does is kidnap the locals and then replace their workings with alien machinery.

They can then use the re-wired locals to gain the trust of the masses before start their move to total domination!

Barry Stevens
29 Posted 09/03/2015 at 20:30:23
Mark. I think we will just have to agree to disagree.
Andrew James
31 Posted 09/03/2015 at 21:22:51
I believe when Ebbrell was about 21 or 22, his game was really good and if he'd played with better players, he would stepped up. I saw him at Luton away in 1991 and he ran the midfield and you could tell Beardsley was enjoying it.

But then for 2 or 3 seasons we were garbage and Ebbrell never progressed or found his best position. He played in an era where wages weren't silly, when we paid him (!) and then he retired early at his next club. So if he can coach well then I welcome him to the club. It's not like we're just bringing in former players who were sitting at home or running a pub!

Dave Williams
32 Posted 09/03/2015 at 22:41:27
I cannot understand the negative comments. It doesn't matter how good or bad he was as a player as he is hardly likely to be playing for us again anytime soon is he!!

He was a decent enough player but it's what he is like as a coach that counts and unless I am mistaken no-one posting on here has a clue about that so give the man a chance in his new job rather than trying to sack him before he starts.

Priceless!!

Danny Broderick
33 Posted 09/03/2015 at 23:36:55
The likes of Ebbrell and Unsworth know what it takes to break through at Everton, because they have been there and done it. You can't beat experience like that.

I just hope we have some attacking coaches to balance it out! But I've got no problem with players who have broken through at Everton coming back to coach the next generation of youngsters looking to break through...

Dave Abrahams
34 Posted 09/03/2015 at 23:39:59
Steve (#3), for some reason Alan Stubbs gets a hard time on this forum. I don't know why this is. Stubbs is a good a Blue as any of us, a man who argued the toss with David Moyes when he was manager of the reserve team. When Moyes would have a go at the reserve team, Stubbs would have a go back and defend the young lads who he was in charge of.

Stubbs has a long career in football, knows the game, doing well at the moment with Hibernian and I don't think he is finished with Everton regarding the future, but we will see.

James Stewart
35 Posted 09/03/2015 at 23:56:54
Because of the Rooney saga, Dave, who many have not forgiven him for. Me included.
Dave Abrahams
36 Posted 09/03/2015 at 23:58:29
James, Stubbs did not influence in any way whether Wayne stayed or left Everton. Rooney was a young boy who didn't know which way to turn when he, and he alone, decided he wanted to leave Everton.

Alan Stubbs gave him a shoulder to lean on, he listened to Wayne and told him to do what, he Rooney, thought was best for himself.

Let's be honest here: Kenwright wanted to sell Rooney and, if he hadn't have been sold, Everton were on the verge of bankruptcy, so it was to Everton's advantage that Rooney was sold.

Gavin Johnson
37 Posted 10/03/2015 at 00:44:57
Dave, didn't Stubbs have a vested interest for Rooney to join United. I thought they shared the same agent at the time, Paul Stretford?
David Barks
38 Posted 10/03/2015 at 01:12:41
Gavin,

Having the same agent wouldn't have benefitted Stubbs in any way. It's not as if every player under that agent gets a cut. So what vested interest are you talking about exactly? Stubbs was a damn solid player for us, end of story.

Gavin Johnson
39 Posted 10/03/2015 at 01:24:54
David, it was widely rumoured he had a vested interest, I don't really need to elaborate.
David Barks
40 Posted 10/03/2015 at 01:39:22
No Gavin, you sort of do. What is the vested interest? He wouldn't get a cut of the transfer, so not monetary. He wasn't lobbying to bring a player to the team, so not internally. So what is this vested interest. If you throw that out you really do need to explain what in fact he was vested in.
Gavin Johnson
41 Posted 10/03/2015 at 02:52:38
David, It's conjecture whether or not Stubbs benefited in the Rooney deal. But he did have a stake in Stretford's agency, and it was only when Rooney changed agent to Stretford's company, that a move was forced through. So it's up to you to join the dots together and reach your own conclusion.

Personally I don't think Stubbs is a great blue. He had the chance to captain Everton in the Champions League after he was offered a one-year deal, but followed the money to Sunderland, not leaving on the best or terms, and then came back admitting he shouldn't have gobbed off.

I can think of other instances where he's opened his gob. The last time I can think of was the Baines – will he, or won't he go to United – saga. He came out and said something that undermined what Martinez had said in the press.

I will become what Phil Walling is to Roberto Martinez if Stubbs ever gets the Everton job.

David Barks
42 Posted 10/03/2015 at 03:17:45
Wait, so now Stubbs had a stake in Stretford's agency? So that would mean that Stretford was an employee of Stubbs, and Stubbs was in fact part owner of the firm that represented Rooney. I don't think that's the case. You're just creating dots.

They shared agents, just as all players do. There is no conspiracy, Elvis isn't alive, the moon landing was real, and Rooney went to United because it was a lot more money and to win trophies and BK wanted the transfer money.

Matt Traynor
43 Posted 10/03/2015 at 03:25:23
David #42, a number of football "personalities" were stakeholders in the original agency Stretford was a part of. Stubbs was one. Kenny Dalglish was another - and he actually visited Rooney's parents to encourage them to move Wayne to Proactive.

Stretford was sacked from Proactive and set up a new agency (TripleS) with, amongst others, the son of Freddy Shepherd - the former Newcastle part-owner.

No dots being created here, most of this is publicly available (including the information relating to Stretford's court case against Proactive when he was found by the judge overseeing it to not be a credible witness).

Gavin Johnson
44 Posted 10/03/2015 at 03:25:33
David, I never said at any point in my post that Alan Stubbs was the boss of Paul Stretford. I think you're making that up for dramatic effect.

I don't think there's a huge conspiracy. I just think Stubbs wasn't a helpful influence over Rooney. And the other points in my post help me reach my opinion which differs to yours on Stubbs being the epitome of a blue.

David Barks
45 Posted 10/03/2015 at 03:33:49
So you people honestly think an employee of Everton, Stubbs, was legally allowed to help negotiate the sale of an Everton player to a competitor and financially benefit from the deal? Honestly, that's what you're saying. Enough, this is just daft conspiracy theory crap.
Gavin Johnson
46 Posted 10/03/2015 at 03:45:05
Good info Matt, I'd forgotten all about Dalglish's involvement until you mentioned it.
Steven Telford
47 Posted 10/03/2015 at 04:45:43
Dave,

It's not just the Rooney Saga with Stubbs. Look at what he said when Moyes was trying to take Baines to Manchester United. Baines behaved with pure class, didn't open his mouth, respected the club enough to not even come out with coded messages, such as "I'm flattered by their interest", etc...

Then Stubbs opens his mouth and undoes all that by saying publicly he wanted to go. Why, to what ends?

Our U-21 manger effectively saw us as a feeder team. Good Riddance.

Ian Jones
48 Posted 10/03/2015 at 04:53:49
And there was me thinking this thread was about John Ebbrell..

Decent player. Hope he enjoys his return to the club.

Dave Abrahams
49 Posted 10/03/2015 at 08:46:08
I think we all have our own thoughts on what happened over Rooney's transfer but none of us know the full truth. What is true is that it was our loss and Rooney did well out of it, on the field and in his bank balance. Some hate him for it... while some of us say "Good luck" to the lad.
John Crawley
50 Posted 10/03/2015 at 12:13:57
Matt you're forgetting that Michael Dunford also held 40,000 shares in Stretford's agency and along with Stubbs & Daglish encouraged him to sign up with Stretford as an agent. He subsequently sold his shares before negotiating Rooney's new contract (with Stretford) after an outcry.
David Pearl
51 Posted 10/03/2015 at 15:01:41
He never reached the heights he was supposed to as a player...

However, maybe his appointment (and so far I can't find mention of it in the comments above) is also based on the fact that he came through the famous Lilleshall Academy? Let's hope the Everton Academy lasts a little longer...

Dave Abrahams
53 Posted 11/03/2015 at 22:21:49
David (#51), John Ebbrell was a scout at one time for Everton, then he was a coach for a few years at Tranmere Rovers, I don't know what he has been doing since then, but hope he can bring a few young players through at Finch Farm.
Trevor Lynes
54 Posted 12/03/2015 at 19:15:59
Dave, he did not do so well as a scout and I have not seen much in the way of plusses at Tranmere either who look like they will be out of the league next season.

I would like to see a coach who can produce attacking players. We seem to just produce defenders in recent years.


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