Moyes is 'miracle worker' at Everton, says chairman

Bill Kenwright, the Everton chairman, believes David Moyes "changed the club forever" the day he walked through the door at Goodison Park seven years ago.

Kenwright claims the manager has achieved miracles to transform a club down on their luck, and almost down in the Championship, to one now considered European regulars.

Moyes, named the League Managers' Association manager of the year on Tuesday for the third time, will lead Everton out at Wembley on Saturday for the FA Cup final against Chelsea aiming to claim his first trophy since joining the Merseysiders. Kenwright said of the Scot: "In March 2002 this club changed from the day that David Moyes arrived. He has made this club believe they can look upwards, and for that more than anything else we worship him.

"He deserves all the accolades and awards that he can get. He has made us more ambitious than any other club. To beat Chelsea at Wembley would be a massive, massive achievement because they are one of the top four clubs.

"But we have already beaten two of those already to get to the final, Liverpool and then Manchester United, so we know we can do it. We almost achieved the Champions League group stages a couple of years back, losing in the qualifiers.

"And what kind of achievement is it that since 2002 and how he found this club, David has turned us into virtual European regulars? The man has achieved miracles," Kenwright added. "It has been be a big enough achievement securing fifth place in the league, certainly after the way this season started with those first three months of barely winning anything. But the Cup final is something else, I have dreamt of something like this. I dreamt of being chairman back in the days when I was watching from the boys' pen. Then when I took over the club I dreamt of a Cup final. David dreams too.

"We talk about silverware and moving the club forward all the time. But David has amassed the greatest team of players I can recall who just want to play their hearts out for this club. We are never the underdogs because of the squad of players that we have. They just don't accept that they are a lesser side.

"David has made some fantastic signings like Tim Cahill and Tim Howard, outstanding acquisitions. He even tells me he signed Marouane Fellaini to be an attacking midfielder, not the holding player he had first seen at Standard Liege. Now he has turned into a great attacking player. You could go on and on. And look at the youngsters he has brought through. Jack Rodwell will be a big star, and so will Jose Baxter.

"I recall on a terrible night of bad weather in Nottingham last July for the reserves, he scored an amazing goal. I said then that I had seen something like that before, and everyone knew I meant Wayne Rooney's debut goal against Arsenal.

"We have a truly great club here with great people. My old mum kicks every ball. I know when we score and my mobile rings, who it is. She can't watch it on TV because she gets too nervous. All she has said to me throughout this season is 'Just believe'. And I do."