Chairman Bill Kenwright insists that Carlo Ancelotti is “already loving” Everton as he hailed majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri for the new manager's appointment.
The Italian arrives as by far the most-decorated boss in the Blues 141-year history and after watching Saturday's goalless draw with Arsenal from the Directors Box at Goodison Park in between Messrs Kenwright and Moshiri, the 60-year-old will be in the dugout for the first time for Everton's Boxing Day home game against Burnley.
Mr Kenwright told evertonfc.com: “I have to take my hat off to Farhad… we interviewed a lot of people and Farhad was pushing for a world-class manager.
“He wants this team to be where he's wanted it to be for three-and-a-half years. He wants this club to be winning trophies.
“That is what he is here for. We want a world-class manager to help us do that and to get us to this magnificent new stadium.
“Carlo's had a little bit of an Everton experience today. He's already loving the club. You can't not feel the embrace of this club, can you?”
Mr Kenwright also praised the efforts of Duncan Ferguson, whose four-game tenure as caretaker manager following Marco Silva's sacking has now come to a close.
The chairman said: “It’d hard for me to put into words the Duncan Ferguson era.
“I get emotional because I am an emotional chairman.
“He gave the club and fans a reminder of what a privilege it is to be an Evertonian.
“He stands there and you go, ‘That’s what it is, that’s why I became an Evertonian when I was seven.”
Mr Kenwright lauded Ferguson as an Everton hero.
He said: “Mine was Dave Hickson, today it’s Duncan Ferguson.
“I don’t know anyone else who could have done it, who could have said, ‘We’re going to work now and show those fans [what it means to play for Everton], because he loves those fans as much as they love him’
“It’s not just a game to him, it’s Everton.
“I was speaking to his wife earlier and she said he lives, eats, sleeps and breathes this club.
“It couldn’t have been anyone else who’s done what he has for us.”
