West Ham United boss David Moyes is getting all mushy on Everton and Frank Lampard ahead of his Goodison Park return this weekend.
Moyes spent 11 years at Everton between 2002 and 2013 elevating the Toffees to levels they have not reached since in the Premier League.
The Scot has been busy pushing West Ham to those kind of levels in the last three years, making the Hammers a genuine European outfit and top six challengers.
Ironically Moyes has built the best West Ham side and squad since a certain Everton manager and former Hammers academy graduate Frank Lampard was a central figure in his boyhood team at the turn of the century.
West Ham finished fifth with Lampard in midfield in the 1998/99 season and qualified for Europe with the midfielder scoring nearly 40 goals in four seasons.
Moyes returns to his old stomping ground with West Ham on Sunday and both sides are desperate for a win.
Everton have four points like the Hammers but are actually yet to win a game this season while West Ham have just one victory in their opening six matches.
That does not quite tell the full story for either West Ham or Everton. Both would argue they could and perhaps should have at least another four to six points on their tallies.
And that would have the Hammers and Toffees sitting a lot more comfortably in the early table as the usual football vultures start to circle around the 10-game mark.
Both sides will be desperate to get all three points and alleviate any early pressure.
That does not quite tell the full story for either West Ham or Everton. Both would argue they could and perhaps should have at least another four to six points on their tallies.
And that would have the Hammers and Toffees sitting a lot more comfortably in the early table as the usual football vultures start to circle around the 10-game mark.
The Hammers manager has gone on the charm offensive when talking about his old club.
West Ham boss Moyes gets all mushy on Everton and Lampard ahead of his Goodison return.
“I hugely enjoy it (going back to Everton),” Moyes told BBC Sports reporter Simon Stone.
“It was a massive part of my career.
“I only have thanks and good feelings for Everton, for what they have done for me and my family.”
Moyes has also been quoted as being glad he is not facing Lampard the player when assessing the threat Everton pose his West Ham side.
“I’m probably glad he (Lampard) is not a player any more, that is for sure because he had an incredible goalscoring record for Chelsea, so that’s where I remember him from and obviously he was a top player,” Moyes said (Football.London).
“Maybe not quite so many (wins against me) as a manager yet but Frank is building a new team at Everton as well and is building them in a new direction. We wish him well, but not at the moment that is for sure.”