Jack Dowling returns to Everton as first-team performance coach
Everton have re-hired Jack Dowling to their backroom staff with him arriving as a first-team performance coach, according to Training Ground Guru.
The specialist website reports that Dowling initially left Goodison Park in January 2021 after quitting his role as a strength and conditioning coach.
He left Everton to join Blackburn, where he became a first-team performance coach.
Dowling’s now reportedly back at Finch Farm in the same role he held at Ewood Park with the Toffees light in numbers behind the scenes since head of sport science Jamie Harley and rehabilitation fitness coach Cristian Fernandez left with Rafa Benitez.
Fixing the cracks
Benitez’s reign was a short one but it was definitely a messy one.
His exit in January was necessary and we may even be in the Premier League relegation zone now if he wasn’t sacked.
Benitez should never have been hired, but that’s another story, and the lasting cracks of his exit are finally being repaired.
Re-hiring Dowling sounds like a good move as he’s someone who’s been at Finch Farm very recently and will know a bunch of the players.
He’s also held a similar position at Blackburn as to what he’s doing now at Everton so there’s no doubt that the coach will fit in seamlessly and start having an impact here on Merseyside.
It remains to be seen what other roles need to be filled by the Blues.
Frank Lampard is bound to have a big say on who he brings in at Finch Farm, especially with there not being any director of football currently at the club.
But once a replacement for Marcel Brands does come in, there may be some more progress here.
In other Everton news, an ex-FIFA official has sent a message to Bill Kenwright after what Richard Keys said.
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