Sean Dyche explains transfer decision that will now see two players leave Everton

Everton manager Sean Dyche has explained the decision to bring Asmir Begovic back to the club a year after the goalkeeper quit the Blues. As reported by the ECHO on Tuesday, Everton confirmed Begovic’s return on Friday.

The 37-year-old, who made 10 appearances during his first spell at the club between 2021-23, has signed a one-year contract.

Begovic's previous Everton squad number of 15 has been taken by another summer signing Jake O'Brien, so he will now wear 31.

Dyche said: “Mainly it’s to allow the other keepers to go out. We need cover obviously.

“Asmir knows that with his experience and knowledge of the club. So Billy (Crellin) and Harry (Tyrer, who made 42 appearances for Chesterfield last season as the Spireites won the National League and promotion back to the Football League after a six-year absence) to go out on loan and progress.

“We’ve got to keep the development programme, try to get players out there and improve.

“Can they go out, get experience and then push? Joao (Virginia), Asmir (Begovic) and Jordan (Pickford) will stay around.”

With injury and suspension problems after Ashley Young’s opening day sending off against Brighton & Hove Albion, Dyche claimed that he might be down to just 14 senior players for today’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

But having named a bench that was a man light for Everton’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth to secure survival on the final day of the 2022/23 season, the 53-year-old insists he’ll always try and go with the full complement when possible.

Teenagers Jenson Metcalfe (19) and Harrison Armstrong (17) were both on the bench against the Seagulls and the Blues might have to turn to more youngsters to make up the numbers in north London.

Dyche said: “I don’t believe in no angle, ‘if you can’t fill a bench, you can’t fill a bench’. I prefer to put kids on there who can at least get experience or a feel of it, whether they're game ready or not.

“But realistically, you’re probably not going to put them on. So we'll see how Saturday works because there’s a couple of maybes. So we’ll see.”