Howard Kendall, Former Everton Player and Manager, Dies at Age 69
Former Everton manager and Goodison Park legend Howard Kendall has died at the age of 69, it’s been confirmed.
The club’s official Twitter account reported the nature of Kendall’s death on Saturday, dubbing him “the most successful manager in Everton’s history” following his influence on their rise throughout the 1980s:
Kendall won the 1969-70 First Division title with the Toffees as a player before managing the club for a collective 10 years across three different spells, leading the club to the top-flight crown on two occasions. Bleacher Report UK put his achievements into numbers:
News of Kendall’s death has resulted in an outpouring of tributes from across the English football community, with Match of the Day pundit and former Toffees striker Gary Lineker among those giving thanks to a club icon:
The County Durham-born midfielder also took charge of Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Notts County and Sheffield United in England, as well as managing Athletic Bilbao for two years.
It’s at Goodison Kendall enjoyed his biggest success, though, and former Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher shared his fondest memory of the tactician as a show of Merseyside support:
Broadcaster Richard Keys gave his account of how Kendall influenced his career, while Liverpool writer Jim Boardman touched upon how his impact brought about the greatest era in the Merseyside rivalry:
To this day, Kendall remains the last English manager to win a European trophy at the helm of an English club, a record which doesn’t appear likely to be broken in the foreseeable future.
That achievement alone stands as evidence of how talented a manager Kendall was, and the English Football Hall of Fame entrant will be remembered as one of the greatest figures ever to have led in England.