He was ridiculed during the Aston Villa fiasco, but David Unsworth has Everton blood in his veins.
An Interview by Louise Taylor of the Sunday Times, 22 November 1998.  

 DAVID UNSWORTH

 BLUE CHIP INVESTMENT

Every room at Bellefield, the club's reassuringly antiquated, tradition-steeped training ground, was still Evertonian blue; Duncan Ferguson, the centre-forward, continued to drone on about his treasured racing pigeons and first-teamers remained committed to lunching with fans each Friday.

Yet first impressions proved deceptive. "When I came back through the gates at the start of this season it was as if I'd never been away and nothing had changed," recalled Unsworth. "But then I saw that almost everything had changed. The faces were different - there were only four or five players left who I'd played with and there was a new manager and coaches. In many ways all the changes that had taken place in just a year were absolutely unbelievable. It explains why we haven't had a great start."

Indeed, Everton seek their first Premiership home win - and second home League goal - against Newcastle at Goodison Park tomorrow. Which begs the question as to why Unsworth left West Ham, where he enjoyed a successful 1997-98 campaign, and spent a mere week at Aston Villa before displaying the homing instincts of one of Ferguson's pigeons.

Sitting upstairs in a Bellefield office, the 25-year-old uneasily shifted position in his chair, apparently bracing himself for this inevitable, slightly embarrassing, question. According to John Gregory, Villa's manager, Unsworth and his wife Jayne had laboured under the erroneous belief that Birmingham was almost as close to Liverpool as Bolton. After a couple of nightmarish journeys down the M6, he demanded a transfer, unforeseen late homecomings having apparently caused Jayne "to throw his dinner in the bin". Conjuring up an image of a hapless, hen-pecked, geographically illiterate defender, Gregory delighted journalists by quipping: "We all know who wears the trousers in that house."

It consequently comes as a shock to meet Unsworth. Poised, personable and articulate, he answers questions fluently and thoughtfully. "I made a mistake signing for Villa," admitted a man who passed nine GCSEs, studied economics part-time at college and regularly buys The Times. "But it was an honest mistake and I thought the best thing was to be open and acknowledge it.

"John Gregory was very hurt by what I had to say when I told him I was determined to leave, and the only way he could hurt me back was by saying those things about my wife. None of it was true and he was well out of order, but now I think I can understand his frustration and anger."

Although joining Villa for £3M involved Unsworth contemplating a daily 200-mile round trip from the Formby home which he, Jayne and their two infant daughters had just moved into, he insists that "the travelling wasn't the issue".

The core problem was that he hankered after a return to Goodison: "When I decided to leave West Ham, Everton and Villa seemed interested, but when my agent contacted Everton both the manager and chairman were on holiday and there was no response. It was disappointing but we felt their interest had gone and I signed for Villa."

Having done so, it immediately became apparent that Walter Smith coveted him after all. But why did those true-blue ties still bind? "There's a special bond between this club and certain people," reflected Unsworth. "My bond with Everton is far stronger than it could be with any other club.

"With Villa doing so well, a lot of people have asked if I've any regrets, but I honestly haven't. I've been very impressed with Gareth Southgate. I could have played alongside him but life is all about ifs and buts. One ironic "if" is where Gareth Barry would be now if I'd stayed.

"I knew I'd made the right decision when I played at Goodison for the first time this season. My reception was unbelievable. It was one of those occasions when you feel that the hairs on the back of your neck really are standing up."

So why leave in the first place? "I was beginning to feel part of the furniture. Maybe because I'd joined from school I found I was being treated differently from players who had been bought for three or four million. People who have come up through the ranks can sometimes be taken for granted while expensive new signings get different treatment. It's natural that if a manager spends a lot on someone he's going to want to play him. Now I've been away I'm sure people look at me in a new light."

This case of over-familiarity breeding a little misplaced contempt had surfaced under the Goodison Park management of Howard Kendall, who sometimes omitted Unsworth before selling him to Harry Redknapp's West Ham for £1M.

"I hadn't been playing to my full capabilities during the previous 12 months, I'd been trying too hard to impress, but Harry was brilliant. He made me feel wanted and I found the sort of consistency I'd lacked," said Unsworth. "A lot of Harry's buys are people who've had a bit of success and then suffered dips in form. Paul Kitson, John Hartson, Ian Pearce and myself have all had something to prove. At the end of last season Harry said he was surprised I hadn't got back into the England squad."

Unsworth's sole cap came against Japan in 1995, the year that Everton, under Joe Royle's management, beat Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final, a special occasion for the Chorley-born defender who grew up idolising Bryan Robson's United. "I was originally a midfielder, so Robson was my role model," admitted Unsworth in a soft Lancashire accent surprisingly bereft of Scouse inflexion. Such footballing origins help explain his superior left-footed distribution and eye-catchingly adhesive first touch. With his pace, incisive tackling, combative heading and surprisingly good balance - he is 6ft 1in and 13 1/2 st - Unsworth has proved effective both at left-back and in an England-style central-defensive trinity.

A desire to figure in Glenn Hoddle's thinking partly prompted his exit from Kendall's Everton. "I spoke to Joe Royle before I went to West Ham, " said Unsworth. "And he said a change would do me good, that I needed to get away from Merseyside.

"West Ham was a smashing club and I loved the football but my wife and I were uncomfortable living down there. I'm not knocking London but it's so vast. Any northerner will tell you that you can't have the same quality of life in London. The sort of lifestyle we wanted just isn't there."

Having happily swapped Ongar for Formby, Unsworth is now committed to providing Evertonians with the glory they crave. Smith is the club's fourth manager in as many years but the defender trusts he is there for the long haul. "I hope the board realises we need stability and that Walter Smith needs a minimum of three years to start putting things right," he said. "With so many managers and players coming and going, and systems changing, it's no wonder we've flirted with relegation for four out of the last five years.

"There's been no proper pattern here for a long time but I've been very impressed with the manager and Archie Knox, his assistant. Archie takes training but the gaffer is always watching on the sidelines and he pulls individual players over and offers advice. The sessions are very varied and we look forward to coming in."

Suddenly the words change and Everton are starting to assume positive connotations. Last week Smith appointed a psychologist, Bill Beswick, while plans are afoot to rebuild Bellefield as an ultra-modern training complex.

"I know we're struggling to score goals but things are generally going well," insisted Unsworth. "We've got a few new foreign players settling in and that takes time, but the spirit is excellent and our overall defensive record is pretty good.

"Contrary to what some people think I haven't come back for an easy ride; I'm here because I honestly believe Walter Smith can give Everton long-term success. I want to be part of it - and I'll never stop hoping for that England call . . ."

Gregory's loss is Smith's gain.