Everton have appointed former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard as their manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract, the Premier League club said on Monday as they look to secure their status as a top flight team, Reuters reports.
Everton, who have been ever-present in the top flight for the last 68 years, sacked Rafa Benitez this month after a 2-1 defeat at Norwich City left the Merseyside club six points above the relegation zone.
"I'm very hungry to get started. After speaking to the owner, chairman and the board, I very much felt their passion and ambition. I hope they felt my ambition and how hard I want to work to bring it together," Lampard said in a statement.
"You can feel the passion Everton fans have for their club. That will be hugely important. As a team – the competitive level that the Premier League brings and the position we are in the table – we certainly need that.
"It's a two-way thing. I think Everton is a unique club in that you can really understand what the fans want to see. The first thing they want is fight and desire and that must always be our baseline."