Louis Saha has backed Everton to start climbing the table under his former Blues boss David Moyes and reckons one of the current crop is like a star from the Scot’s first spell in charge at Goodison Park. The Parisian striker, now 46, netted 35 goals in 115 games for Everton between 2008-12, including one after just 25 seconds in the 2009 FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley, having been signed by Moyes from Manchester United.

Since returning to the club, almost 23 years after he was first appointed and some 11-and-a-half years after he left for Old Trafford, Moyes has recovered from being beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa in his first game in charge to guide the Blues to their first back-to-back wins of the season, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at home before defeating Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 at the Amex Stadium on Saturday. In his first press conference after coming back, the 61-year-old declared: “I’ve told the players, ‘I’m not coming here to manage a team at the bottom of the league. I’m coming to manage a team that’s going to be fighting and challenging. Part of it is – you players had better turn up.’”

Moyes steered Everton to nine top eight finishes during his first spell in charge and despite their current predicament after picking up just 17 points in the first half of the campaign under predecessor Sean Dyche, Saha is now aiming high again. Speaking to Paddy Power, he said: “I really hope Everton can push for a top half finish.

“David Moyes knows the club really well and the players know the type of manager he is. He’s performed in every club he’s been at, and I have confidence that he can re-connect with the club.

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“As passionate as Moyes is, he brings the fans and the club together and they will hope to see a similar level of aggression that Everton had when I was playing there. I think they will get out of the danger zone.”

Meanwhile, Saha has earmarked another France-born player, and the match-winner on the Sussex coast from the penalty spot, as being the key for the Blues for the rest of the season because he is similar to another silky wide man who Moyes signed on five separate occasions: twice on loan and twice permanent for Everton and then once for Sunderland. He said: “Iliman Ndiaye is a very skilful player and if they have the right combination like I had with Yakubu and Tim Cahill, it was so balanced.

“Ndiaye reminds me of Steven Pienaar. He’s very skilful and can put any team in danger. He can dribble in any position on the pitch and create chances for the strikers.

“Moyes always finds a really good balance between defending really well and going forward and giving freedom for those types of players to express themselves and do the magic.”