(Reuters) - Everton manager Sam Allardyce says he will continue to lead the Premier League club next season after holding talks with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.
The 63-year-old, who took charge of Everton in November, has helped the Merseyside climb from 18th to eighth in the league but despite the team's progress, British media reports have questioned Allardyce's continued stay at Goodison Park.
"We discussed plans for next season yesterday with Farhad (Moshiri). We have some clarity moving forward now," Allardyce told a news conference ahead of Saturday's league trip to Huddersfield Town.
"Didn't I just say that? For clarification, yes," he added when asked to confirm he was staying for next season.
Allardyce was pleased with Everton's rise during his five-month reign and has urged his team to improve next season.
"We can always strive to do better. We started my reign so well that we built up a great expectation that it might even be better than it is now," he said.
"I think with how hard we've all worked behind the scenes we've achieved a good way forward in the space of only five months - and it is only five months.
"It's been pretty satisfying so far, but one is never satisfied as a manager. You always want your team to do better but overall it's pretty satisfying..."
Allardyce said that midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin (leg) , defender Leighton Baines (head) and forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin (back) would all face late fitness tests ahead of Huddersfield match.
(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
