While Everton are likely to come under threat next season from big-spending clubs around them, Moyes insisted he was happy working at a club where he has to be more careful with his money.

“I feel the way we’ve done it where we’ve had to build and work with players and make them better, and juggle one or two a little bit, I think that gives you more pleasure than going out and buying the finished article.”

Meanwhile, Tim Cahill played a part in Australia becoming the second country from the Asian qualifying zone to reach the 2010 World Cup after they secured the single point they needed with a goalless draw against Qatar in Doha.

With Japan having earlier booked their passage with victory in Uzbekistan, Pim Verbeek’s side sewed up the second automatic spot in Group A and can count themselves unfortunate not to have taken all three points.

Australia came closest to breaking the deadlock 10 minutes after the interval when Cahill headed a corner goalwards and Chris Coyne neatly flicked the ball past goalkeeper Qasem Burhan only for Mesaad Al Hamad to clear off the line.