Former Burnley boss Sean Dyche has admitted that he was never close to joining Everton after he was heavily linked with the vacant role following Carlo Ancelotti's departure.
Ancelotti swapped Goodison Park for a return to the dugout at the Bernabeu in the summer of 2021 after Zinedine Zidane's exit. As a result, Rafael Benitez was installed as the new manager of Everton.
However, the Spaniard's time with the Blues was ill-fated. After a positive start, results nosedived and Benitez was axed after just six-and-a-half months in charge and replaced by Frank Lampard.
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Speaking to talkSPORT, Dyche addressed the talks of succeeding Ancelotti in the summer of 2021, when he was still Burnley boss. He said: "Well for one, just to be clear because it was so heavily linked, it wasn't real.
"I never got [a phone call]... no-one spoke to me or anything like that so I must clear that up while I'm here. Proper club, we all know that, people's club. I have a feel for that because of my history in the Premier League."
Dyche was relieved of his duties at Turf Moor toward the end of last season as they became involved in a relegation scrap with Everton, who Burnley did beat before his departure.
Current Blues boss, Frank Lampard, saw his side dumped out of the Carabao Cup to Bournemouth on Tuesday. And with just one win in the last seven games, Lampard and his team could do with a win when they return to Bournemouth on Saturday for their final Premier League match before the World Cup break.
"I think Frank's [Lampard] is doing a good job there, I hope he does, another British manager, English manager doing well," Dyche said on Lampard.
"But a proper club and it has a proper feel about it. I know they talk about that new stadium but it has that feel in the stadium."
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