32 Facts About Howard Kendall

Howard Kendall was an English footballer and manager.

Howard Kendall was a runner-up in the 1964 FA Cup with Preston, and at 17 years 345 days was the youngest player to play in a Wembley final.

Howard Kendall became Everton captain for three years before being sold to Birmingham City in 1974.

Howard Kendall joined Stoke City in 1977, where he became a player-coach and helped the club achieve promotion from the Second Division.

Howard Kendall returned to Everton in 1981, again as a player-manager, but retired from playing after four games.

Frustrated by the ban from UEFA competitions imposed on English clubs, Howard Kendall left to manage Spanish club Athletic Bilbao in 1987.

Howard Kendall was sacked in 1989, but quickly returned to management with Manchester City.

Howard Kendall returned to Everton for the third time as manager in August 1997, but left the club by mutual consent having only managed to avoid relegation on the final day of the season.

Howard Kendall's final managerial position was a four-month spell back in Greece, where he took charge of Ethnikos Piraeus and was sacked with the team at the bottom of the table.

Howard Kendall turned professional in May 1963 and played in the 1964 FA Cup Final against West Ham United.

Howard Kendall was aged 17 years 345 days and was the youngest finalist since James Prinsep played for Clapham Rovers in the 1879 final aged 17 years 245 days.

Howard Kendall was sold to Birmingham City in February 1974 and he spent four seasons at St Andrew's helping Birmingham survive in the First Division and reach the FA Cup semi-final in 1975.

Howard Kendall never played for England at senior level despite being included in several squads, but won caps at Schoolboy, Youth and Under-23 level, captaining the England Youth side to victory in the 1964 Little World Cup Final.

In May 1981 Howard Kendall returned to Everton as player-manager, in the hope of restoring the club to its former glory, although he only played four games before finally retiring as a player in December 1981.

Howard Kendall was reportedly on the verge of being sacked, but the second half of the season was a very different story.

Howard Kendall brought in younger players such as Peter Reid and Trevor Steven from smaller clubs to give them the opportunity to prove that they could compete at the highest level, and was largely successful.

Howard Kendall brought in established star players such as Andy Gray, who was instrumental in a season and a half after joining them in late 1983, his goals transforming a struggling side into FA Cup winners and then league champions and European Cup Winners' Cup winners.

Howard Kendall left Everton in the summer of 1987, frustrated by the ban from Europe of English clubs, to manage Athletic Bilbao in Spain.

Howard Kendall did manage to lead Athletic to fourth place in La Liga in his first season, and qualification for the following season's UEFA Cup, with eventual elimination by Juventus.

Howard Kendall turned down an offer to manage Newcastle United in November 1988 in order to remain in Spain, but was sacked on 15 November 1989 after a poor run of results, and speculation began immediately about where his next job would be.

Howard Kendall was suggested again as a possible choice for the England job after Taylor resigned in November 1993, but Terry Venables was appointed.

Howard Kendall returned to Everton for a second spell as manager on 7 November 1990 following the sacking of Colin Harvey, who was re-appointed to the club as his assistant.

Howard Kendall famously justified the move by saying that Manchester City was just an affair, but Everton was his marriage.

Everton could only manage mid-table league finishes in 1992 and 1993, and Howard Kendall finally resigned on 4 December 1993 after a dismal run of form in the league, and following a dispute with the board of directors, who had blocked his attempt to sign Manchester United striker Dion Dublin.

In January 1995, Howard Kendall returned to English football, taking over at First Division Notts County who were struggling badly after a nightmare start to the season, but under Howard Kendall's leadership there was an improvement, with County winning their first two games under his tenure.

Subsequently, Howard Kendall joined Sheffield United in December 1995, saving the club from relegation and then taking them to the 1997 play-off final, which was lost to Crystal Palace.

Howard Kendall then returned to Everton for third time as manager in August 1997, but left the club by mutual consent at the end of the season having only managed to avoid relegation on the final day of the season.

Howard Kendall's third spell was beset by turmoil within the club, working for then chairman, Peter Johnson.

Howard Kendall moved to Greek side Ethnikos Piraeus, but was sacked in March 1999 after only four months in charge and with the club eight points adrift at the bottom of the Greek First Division.

Howard Kendall remains the last English manager to win a European competition with an English club.

Howard Kendall was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his contribution as a manager to the English game.

Howard Kendall died on 17 October 2015 of a heart attack at the Southport and Formby District General Hospital at the age of 69.