BILL KENWRIGHT believes David Moyes has become “one of football’s great managers” by returning Everton among the English game’s top six.

The Goodison Park outfit have overcome a poor start to the campaign to climb up to sixth place after winning four of their last six Premier League games.

Moyes has already led Everton to three top-six finishes in the last four seasons, including qualification for the Champions League in 2005.

And Kenwright believes the Scot is now realising the potential that persuaded the Everton chairman to appoint him as manager in March 2002.

“I can remember saying within months of David arriving that he was going to be one of the great managers; I think he is one of the great managers now,” said Kenwright.

“There’s no shadow of doubt about that, he’s one of football’s great managers.

“He is a clever, committed, talented, painstaking, straightforward, thinking man’s football manager.”

Kenwright added: “I can remember 10 or 12 years ago, people would, sadly, say ‘Everton were one of the top six’ – and we were.

“When the Premier League was first mooted all those years ago, it was always (talk of) the top six clubs and Everton were one of them. Now, we are, by right, one of the top six clubs again.

“We aren’t in terms of money, we are, definitely, in terms of history, but I think we are in terms of today and tomorrow now. If I can take some share in that then fantastic – but it’s not me, it’s David Moyes.”