Transfer Centre

Everton confirm Ashley Williams departure

| 07 June 2019

The former midfielder has previously worked with Marco Silva.

Luis Boa Morte has been appointed assistant manager at Everton, the club have announced.

The former Fulham and West Ham midfielder, 41, who has teamed back up with Everton boss Marco Silva, succeeds Joao Pedro Sousa in the role.

“Boa Morte, who has signed a two-year contract, joins the Blues from Israeli side Maccabi Haifa, where he was also assistant manager, and replaces Joao Pedro Sousa following his appointment as the new head coach of Portuguese side Famalicao,” Everton confirmed on their official website.

Luis Boa Morte, pictured, is reunited with Everton manager Marco Silva (Martin Rickett/PA)

“The move to Merseyside sees Boa Morte reunited with Everton manager Silva, with the pair having previously worked together at Sporting Lisbon.”

Boa Morte was in charge of Sporting Lisbon’s Under-19s when Silva was at the helm of the Primeira Liga side during the 2014/15 season.

He has also managed Portuguese third-tier team Sintrense and had a spell in charge of top-flight club Portimonense’s Under-23s before joining Maccabi as assistant to Marco Balbul in January 2019.

“I’m very happy to be joining Everton, a big club with so much history and tradition,” Boa Morte said.

“I’m excited to be working again with the manager, Marco Silva, who is a great coach and I would like to thank him for providing me with such a big opportunity.”

Boa Morte first arrived in England as a player when he joined Arsenal from Sporting in 1997 and after a spell at Southampton he moved on to Fulham and then West Ham.

Earlier on Friday, Everton announced defender Ashley Williams will leave Goodison Park at the end of June.

Wales captain Williams, 34, who spent last season on loan at Stoke, made 73 appearances during his three-year spell at Everton.

“Everton can confirm Ashley Williams will leave the club when his current contract expires at the end of the month,” the Toffees said on their official website.

Fellow central defender Phil Jagielka revealed on Tuesday that he was also leaving Goodison after 12 years with the club.

Williams signed a three-year deal when he joined Everton in 2016 from Swansea, where he had spent the previous eight years.

He punctured a lung and broke several ribs during Wales’ goalless friendly draw in Mexico in May 2018 and joined Stoke on a season-long loan the following August.

Leighton Baines has been offered a new deal at Goodison Park (Peter Byrne/PA)

Williams, who made 37 appearances for the Potters, has been included in Wales’ squad for the Euro 2020 qualifiers in Croatia on Saturday and in Hungary on Tuesday.

Everton confirmed Williams’ departure when releasing their retained list.

Left-back Leighton Baines has been offered a new one-year deal, the club said.

Under-23s players Harry Charsley, Boris Mathis, Mateusz Hewelt, Shayne Lavery, Jack Kiersey, Danny Bramall, Joe Hilton and Chris Renshaw have all been released, but striker Bassala Sambou has been offered a new contract.

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