Johnny Heitinga has lifted the lid David Moyes’ ‘amateur’ approach at Everton.
Heitinga spent five years at Goodison Park before joining Fulham in 2014 and was a mainstay of Moyes’ defensive setup during his time with the club.
But the ex-Holland international claims that his former manager had a relaxed attitude to pre-match preparations when it came to matches at Goodison Park.
Heitinga, who also played for Ajax and Atletico Madrid, admits he was surprised by Moyes’ instructions ahead of his debut against Blackburn Rovers in September 2009.
“I remember it well. Manager David Moyes said during the last meeting that we were to arrive at the stadium at half past two,” he told Voetbal International.
“We played at three o’clock. I thought he made a mistake. I wasn’t used to it, this reminded me of a meeting time of an amateur team.
“But it was true, it was [also] everyone’s own responsibility to eat well and rest. So my wife had to prepare the pasta.”