“This job gave me an amazing opportunity to be able to put all the things that I’ve learned over the last 25 years into practice,” says Nick Cox of his decision to leave his role leading Manchester United’s academy last summer and become Everton’s technical director.
“And (it was) knowing that if I can execute all the things that I believe to be important, that this place could be unstoppable.”
It was around this time last year that Cox first became aware of the Merseyside club’s interest. An extensive “vetting process” then led to meetings with Everton’s incoming chief executive Angus Kinnear and owners The Friedkin Group.
“It was immediately an incredibly exciting opportunity,” Cox, 48, tells The Athletic. “I was in a good job. So you only leave a good job if you think you can find an even better one. There was just so much about the timing that meant it was a real straightforward decision.
“New ownership, new leadership, new stadium, an amazing club that’s in the wrong state, with so much potential. So many things that are hard to turn on in terms of history, heritage, fan base, commitment to developing players. All the elements you really look for.”
Cox, who counts Watford and Sheffield United among his former clubs, says his perceptions about Everton have been “completely surpassed” since joining.
“Everything was just slightly more amplified,” he says. “It is special. The sense of togetherness, looking after each other, is amazing. It has been well documented how tough the last few years have been. But I don’t think I could sense how tough it had been on the inside.
“What hits home is the remarkable job that everybody has done, against the odds. The challenge was to keep the club alive. And not only is the club alive, but the men’s and women’s teams are in the top division, having moved into new stadiums. Harrison Armstrong emerges (from the academy).
“It has far surpassed what the actual task was, which was ‘how do we just keep the place going?’. I put that down to just an incredible group of staff who are hard-working, relentless, stick together and have a real love and passion for the club. Those things have blown me away.
“So I appreciate that I’ve got the easy job.”
Nick Cox in his previous role as head of Manchester United’s academy (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Easy job? Not quite, but it is certainly easier than what came before.
Everton are out of survival mode and looking up once more. For the first time in an age, resources are there to invest at all levels.
Cox’s role will be significant. He oversees the running of Everton’s sporting departments, from the academy and women’s teams to medical, sports science and coaching, with the exception of recruitment.
There is a subtle difference to Kevin Thelwell’s tenure as director of football, with CEO Kinnear having implemented what the club describe as a “flatter structure” run by a series of “experts”.
“Angus had a feeling that sporting directors are becoming as dispensable as head coaches, and if you have one person accountable for everything, you put yourself in a position (where) you’re exposed slightly if they do leave,” he says. “The breadth of work that needs to be done across a club is so vast that actually, can one person do all of that and be an expert in all of those areas?
“When it comes to recruitment there will be a collaboration, so (director of scouting and recruitment) James Smith will do the lion’s share of the work identifying talent with his team, supported by Chris Howarth from a strategical point of view and Nick Hammond from a player trading point of view.
“Then myself, Angus and (first-team manager) David (Moyes) will work together to try and make the right decisions, whether that’s acquiring talent, renegotiating the contracts of players or moving them.”
David Moyes and his players after their 3-0 win against Chelsea (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Cox is keen to stress that he has only been in situ for half a season and there is “plenty of work to do”.
But he has been at least partly responsible for a number of big decisions, including in the academy, an area he knows well from his time at Manchester United and others.
The first came in early February, when Cox and Kinnear advised the Everton board on the dismissal of women’s team manager Brian Sorensen, with the side in relegation trouble.
“Brian did a wonderful job, navigating difficult years and was largely doing everything himself,” Cox says. “He didn’t have the blessing of a huge support team.
“In our new world, we won’t be quite so coach-led. We’ll have a head coach and a support team that is a club entity sitting around the head coach.
“We were in a tough place just before Christmas, but by the end of January there was some concern that our Women’s Super League status, which is really important to us, was potentially going to be in jeopardy.”
A conversation with Everton Women legend Mo Marley provided inspiration for the appointment of academy coach Scott Phelan as Sorensen’s interim replacement. Phelan has won three of his five league games in charge, with Everton 11 now points clear of 12th place.
Cox and Kinnear will be tasked with leading the search for a permanent head coach, while the former will work on developing a wider leadership structure.
This week, Everton confirmed the appointment of former Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur chief Dean Rastrick as their new academy director, a role that has been filled by head of academy coaching Carl Darlington on an interim basis since Gareth Prosser’s departure at the end of last season. Cox led the search and Rastrick is expected to start at the end of the season.
Informal conversations were held with around 15 candidates, with the list then whittled down to six for interviews. Rastrick spent time with Moyes and Kinnear before being offered the job.
“He (Moyes) is incredibly passionate about the academy, about young talent, about making sure that his team has representation from the local area,” Cox says. “And he’s as determined as he ever has been to make sure that we are competitive and we’re the best.
David Moyes is ‘passionate’ about the academy, according to Nick Cox (Paul Ellis/ AFP via Getty Images)
“My office is right opposite his. He loves this club, (he) has just got an unwavering passion and energy. I don’t know that there’s anyone who works harder than him in the league. He genuinely is the first in and last to go home. His staff as well.
“We’ve built up a nice relationship and there’s been lots of dialogue about what support he needs and what his vision is for his team.
“I’m really excited about Dean’s appointment. He’s an expert in youth development, having worked across the Football League.
“But the best reference point would be the work he did at Spurs over 13 years, where he not only worked with some exceptional players, like Harry Kane, but Spurs developed a reputation for developing staff as well, like (Ipswich Town manager) Kieran McKenna and (England coach) Justin Cochrane.”
Rastrick will lead a “multi-disciplinary” team, with further appointments, such as a new head of academy recruitment, to be made. Provision in the loan pathways area will also be assessed, with the role currently filled by Darlington and academy development coach Nick Chadwick after the summer departure of James Vaughan. Neil Dewsnip, the former Everton and England youth coach who also had a stints as Plymouth Argyle’s interim manager and sporting director, has been appointed in a consultancy role and will advise on football matters across all levels.
“This club has a tremendous track record of developing talent,” Cox says. “We’ve got to make sure that continues.
“I’ve not come here to (just) be the academy guy. But it is going to be really, really important on the men’s and women’s side. If you look at any successful team here, they have had homegrown players. It’s our duty.
“There’s no greater way of connecting with a fan base than having local players in the team. It’s going to be really important in terms of how we make sure we’re efficient and effective at building our squad.”
That is going to take time, effort and resources. Everton’s academy, like other areas of the club, has long been deprived of funding, while top talents such as Ishe Samuels-Smith, now of Chelsea and on loan at Swansea City, were sold to ease financial concerns.
Midfielder Harrison Armstrong has come through Everton’s academy — Nick Cox wants more to follow (James Fearn/Getty Images)
“Like every department of this club, it’s probably not where it needs to be,” Cox says. “But that’s not a criticism of any individual, it’s because this place has been in survival mode.
“We needed money at the time. Now we haven’t got the players. And probably through a turbulent time, maybe we’ve lost a little bit of direction.
“There’s some amazing people and talented players and some good things happening. But there’s a big job to do.”
Cox spent “October to Christmas largely just observing” as part of a review of Everton’s operations. That involved speaking to staff across departments, current and former players and visiting museums to gain insight into Everton and the city of Liverpool. The idea is that he comes up with a new framework, and a series of “non-negotiables” to drive standards.
The process is expected to be completed in time for the new season. But he points to a “very strong” identity and desire to build something lasting.
“What you can’t do is pick stuff up from one club and drop it into another. What you have to do is build something that fits. And this place, more than anywhere, has got a really strong, vibrant heritage.
“I described it to staff (as) we want to win football matches, but the greatest teams stand for something more than winning. So what is that going to be here? We want to win. We want to be proud of the team.
“There’s a lot around recognising the type of city we are in and that we want our teams to be hard-working and play to win and be tough, but at the same time to try and entertain.
“But, more importantly, everybody can tell me how Everton and football have changed their life. It’s about remembering that we’ve got a big responsibility here to create moments for supporters and families that will be talked about for generations.”
Saturday’s win against Chelsea felt like an obvious reference point — a day when everything came together on and off the pitch. The atmosphere at Hill Dickinson Stadium in particular has remained with Cox. But, prompted on his achievements, he instead emphasises the ground left to cover.
“There’s not many stadiums in the world that you can walk up to and feel what I felt on Saturday,” he says. “So (it means a lot) to see what it means to people, and then to know that I’ve got a huge role to play in writing the next chapter of this place and its amazing history.
“There’s lots of work to do and I hope that, when we sit down again in a few years, you’ll be able to tell me what I should be proud of.”