Eddie Howe is keen on becoming Everton's next manager, according to The Mirror via The Express. 

After Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid last week, it has been reported that Everton have narrowed down their options to four possible candidates to replace him - Nuno Espirito Santo, David Moyes, Roberto Martinez and Howe.

Nuno is the current favourite to land the role, but Howe is believed to be pushing hard to be Ancelotti's successor as he looks to return to management.

How did Howe fare at Bournemouth?

Howe has been in the managerial wilderness for almost a year after leaving Bournemouth last August. Prior to that, he had been in the dugout for the South Coast club for a decade spread out across two separate spells.

During that time, he led Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League, and the side managed to stay in England's top division for five seasons before being relegated back down to the Championship in 2020.

Across his two stints at the helm, Howe took charge of Bournemouth on 454 occasions, with the side winning 194 games to give him a win rate of 43%.

What did Sir Alex Ferguson say about Howe?

Howe's achievements during his managerial career have not gone unnoticed, and he received praise from one of the best managers the game has ever seen, Sir Alex Ferguson, only last month.

Speaking on LADbible, Ferguson said of Howe: "On young managers, Eddie Howe had a great period at Bournemouth, for a young manager.

"I think he did very well even though he's relegated it doesn't mean to say he's not a good manager, I think he is a good manager."

Would Howe be a good appointment for Everton?

Ferguson rates Howe highly, and it's not difficult to see why. Taking Bournemouth through the divisions into the Premier League was a phenomenal feat, and one that could suggest that he is a worthy candidate to become Everton's next manager.

The Toffees have struggled for stability in recent years, changing managers at regular intervals. Each of their last four permanent managers have failed to last longer than two years in the job.

It did seem like they may have found the right man to take the club to a new level in Ancelotti, but his abrupt departure leaves them back at square one once again.

Everton need someone who can put together a long-term plan of how to take the team forwards, and Howe has shown that he can do that before at Bournemouth. 

He is also pushing hard for the job, indicating that he sees great potential at Everton, and feels that he can be a success on Merseyside. This should give the club's hierarchy confidence that he could be someone who is in it for the long haul, and can initially steady the ship at Goodison Park, before guiding the side up the table in the years to come.