Steve Parish has previously worked with the now-Everton manager.
Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish has revealed to The Independent that he gave Sam Allardyce a glowing reference when Everton contacted him about the 63-year-old.
Allardyce was named as Ronald Koeman’s successor at Everton last week following a month-long search to replace the Dutchman.
The former Palace manager walked out on Parish and the London club at the end of last season, claiming that he wanted to take a break from the game.
Nevertheless, the Eagles’ owner claims that he does not harbour any resentment toward Allardyce – who will earn £6 million a year on Merseyside – over the decision to get back into football so quickly and revealed that he was very complimentary toward his former manager when the Toffees contacted him.
“He did a great job for us. He was 100 per cent honest for me the entire time he worked for the football club,” he told The Independent.
“I thoroughly enjoyed working him genuinely. I was asked by Everton what I thought and I said he was a brilliant manager to work with.”
Allardyce got his Everton career off to a winning start in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town.
Suddenly, the Toffees, who beat West Ham 4-0 last week, are eight points clear of the relegation zone, and the ex-Palace boss, who led them to safety last season, can now try and salvage something from what started out as a horrendous season under Koeman.
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