DAVID MOYES insists he was in no mood to return a favour for Gerard Houllier.

Everton fought back to find a late equaliser against Aston Villa on Saturday and move up to seventh in the Premier League table.

The point is a valuable one for struggling Villa and despite Houllier’s tongue-in-cheek plea to good friend Moyes, following Leighton Baines’ leveller, that his side needed the points more desperately.

Moyes and the Frenchman forged a friendship during Houllier’s tenure as Liverpool manager and before he took the Aston Villa job, recommended Everton sign Magaye Gueye.

The France under-21 international made his Premier League debut – alongside Apostolos Vellios – in Saturday’s 2-2 draw as second half substitute and showed flashes of the potential Houllier brought to Moyes’ attention.

Although the signs are Moyes could be very grateful to the Villa manager, he was not going to let Everton give up on the chance for points at Goodison Park at the weekend.

“Gerard recommended him to me,” recalls Moyes.

“When he wasn’t working in the summer he told me to sign him.

“Magaye’s got bits about him. He’s trying to get up to speed but he’d have probably featured before if it wasn’t for his hamstring.

“He played off the front for his club in France and middle to left for the French under-21s and there’s a bit of me trying to develop him into a wide player on both flanks.

“When he went in the hole for a wee while he did a decent job.

“They’ve (Gueye and Vellios) miles and miles to go but that’s what happens. People get opportunities in life and if you can give them those opportunities it’s up to them to take them.

“They made a positive contribution. Magaye’s been ready to be in the team. He got a hamstring injury about six weeks ago. Otherwise he’d have been involved.

“Gerard said he needed the result more than I did.

“We’ve been friends for a long time – I laughed.