The Everton captain clearly has a big fan of his in his new manager.
Sam Allardyce gestures on the touchline
Everton have finally appointed a new permanent manager, with Sam Allardyce taking the job until the end of next season.
It is an appointment that has seen mixed reactions from neutrals and Everton fans alike, but one Evertonian will likely be pleased to hear of the new manager’s identity.
Phil Jagielka’s best form has long left him. At 35-years-old his pace has deserted him, once a key part of his game, and he is now struggling to handle Premier League strikers on a weekly basis.
Phil Jagielka of Everton
That has seen him struggling for regular football, although the likes of Ashley Williams and Michael Keane are hardly playing any better at present.
But in Big Sam, Jags has a fan.
Allardyce has made no secret of his desire to try and sign Jagielka in the past. In October 2014 he told the Daily Express that he had tried to sign Jagielka whilst manager of Newcastle United. He wanted to bring in Jagielka from Sheffield United – as well as players such as Luka Modric and Branislav Ivanovic – back in 2007.
Michail Antonio and Phil Jagielka of England run onto the pitch prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F qualifying match between Slovakia and England
Then, when England manager briefly last year, he handed Jagielka a shock call-up back into the fold so he is clearly a big fan of the Everton club captain.
Considering that Allardyce has a good record with getting the best out of older players and indeed defenders, it might be that his appointment is just what Jagielka needs to find an Indian summer to his career.
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