Everton boss wants Newcastle coach as assistant

8:41am Friday 27th June 2008

EVERTON have approached Newcastle United about taking first team coach Steve Round to Goodison Park as David Moyes' assistant manager.

It is understood the Magpies have given Round permission to speak with their Premier League rivals about ending his short time at St James' Park.

The 37-year-old's contract at Newcastle expires this month and Everton's interest in the former Middlesbrough and England coach was well known.

But Moyes is thought to have made a formal move for his services and Round's departure should be confirmed by the middle of next week.

Round has been waiting to be handed new terms since Kevin Keegan's appointment in January and the delay has opened the door for Everton to make a move.

Moyes has been considering his options ever since his No 2 Alan Irvine, a former Newcastle coach, left to take the manager's job at Preston last November.

Chelsea's Steve Clarke was also under consideration, with his position far from certain following the appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

But it seems that Moyes has decided to opt for Round, who is regarded as one of the best young, innovative coaches in the country after taking on his first coaching job at Derby in 1995.

After impressing at Derby, Round was taken to Middlesbrough by Steve McClaren in 2001 before leaving the Riverside after briefly working with Gareth Southgate.

After a 12-month full-time role with McClaren at England, Sam Allardyce drafted in Round at Newcastle on July 1 last year, but Keegan's installation led to ongoing rumours about his position.

Keegan is focused on adding new players to his staff at this stage.

With the exception of the imminent confirmation that Plymouth's 15-year-old Aaron Spear is set to move to Tyneside, Keegan has had little joy on the transfer front since the end of the season.

But the lack of in-coming transfers has done little to distract Mark Viduka from his own belief that Newcastle should be pushing for European football.

The Australian international was part of the Middlesbrough squad that reached the UEFA Cup final in 2006 and the Leeds United team that once reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Viduka now wants to help Newcastle make a return to continental competition, knowing how the club have not played in Europe since losing to AZ Alkmaar last year.

"I have had great European nights in my career," said Viduka.

"To be involved in European games at St James' Park would be something special.

"I would love to play in front of the crowd at St James' in Europe because the fans are so passionate.

It would really be something for me.

"I would love it to happen and that will be the aim - to get back there next season. This club is all set up for European football.

Hopefully, the results will keep going our way like they did at the end of last season. If we play like we did in the last third of the season, the results will continue to come."