David Moyes has told Everton’s caretaker manager David Unsworth that, should he not be appointed on a permanent basis, it may be time to leave the job and seek a career in management.
Moyes returns to Goodison Park as West Ham manager on Wednesday night and will find the club at its lowest ebb since he left for Manchester United in 2013.
The Toffees have won just one of their last 12 in all competitions, and are still without a permanent manager having sacked Ronald Koeman five weeks ago.
Unsworth, who scored the first goal of Moyes’ Everton tenure just seconds into a 2-1 win over Fulham, was thrust into the spotlight having been called on to replace Koeman. While things haven’t gone to plan, his former manager says he’s ready to earn his stripes as a manager elsewhere.
"If he doesn't take the Everton job I think I would tell 'Unsy' to go and manage somewhere and earn your corn," said Moyes.
"If you want to move on go and get a job in the Championship or League One.
"I think there has been a generation of really good players out there who I believe should go and manage and try and come up.
"I would say earn your stripes first and show you can organise so that you can control the team and show that your training works, all the things that are linked with management and leadership.
"I still believe the best thing to do is to go out and trust yourself to win a few games wherever you go."
Moyes, though, did admit that he would not be offering such advice to Unsworth when they meet at Goodison Park as the Hammers boss goes in search of his first win since taking the reins from Slaven Bilic.
"No, because I think one way or another David Unsworth will still be hoping he will still be Everton manager, and why should he not be? He has to do that," added Moyes.
"But if he doesn't get it, he has done a very good job with the under-23s.
"He won the league last year, they are up towards the top of the league and you look at the players Everton are bringing through, the Tom Davies' of the world, and a few more.
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"Maybe the next step is for 'Unsy' is to try and get a decent job which would give him a chance of getting into management level and get a few years under his belt."
A first Moyes win for the visitors on Wednesday would see them out of the bottom three and could well drop Everton into the relegation places.