Ashley Young believes sorting out the ownership issue at Everton can get the club back to fulfilling its potential.

Despite suffering two separate points deductions this season, the Blues achieved Premier League survival before May for the first time in three years with a hat-trick of home wins in the space of a week. While Young praised the job done by Everton manager Sean Dyche, who was one of his team-mates when he started his career at Watford, he acknowledged that off-the-field matters also need to be resolved.

Everton announced back on September 15 that majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri had signed an agreement to sell his entire 94.1% stake in the club to 777 Partners and closing of the transaction was expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2023. However, almost eight months on, the purchase has still yet to be approved by the Premier League board and the Miami-based private investment firm have now been accused of running a complex “pattern of fraud” to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds, casting fresh doubts over their ability to complete the takeover.

Young, 38, who became the oldest-ever outfield player to make his debut for Everton when he made the first of his 32 appearances to date for the club against Fulham on August 12 last year, told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football: “I’ve always said about Everton that the club is massive and I don't think you actually realise that until you're inside the club.

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“The manager of the club has done a fantastic job. You talk about points deductions and whatnot but everything about the fans; the way the fans love the club. When you're doing well, they’re so behind you and you just want to go out and do well.

“It's disappointing how the last few years have gone for the club and where we find ourselves. When you look at previous teams, they were pushing for promotion or mid-table and I can see once things happen with the takeover or whatever, everything the manager has been doing and can relay that onto the pitch, I can see the club going back where it can be.

“Quite a few of us have been to see the stadium and you can see and feel where the club wants to get to. With the new stadium, with the manager, how Kev [Thelwell] the director [of football] has been as well.

“They’ve all been fantastic for Everton. There are some fantastic players and I’ve never been in a dressing room where not just the players but the manager has got the club together is fantastic to be a part of.”