Former Everton star Peter Beardsley has praised the work of the club's current assistant manager Alan Irvine.

Beardsley had a two year spell with the Toffees in the early nineties and worked alongside Irvine in a coaching capacity at Newcastle.

"Alan Irvine is well suited to Everton," Beardsley told evertonTV. "He is a people's man but mostly he is a sensational coach. At the Newcastle Academy he was magnificent, the kids idolised him and didn't want him to leave.

"Alan is very well respected in the game and was very close of going to the FA before David Moyes stepped in. I think it was a great move by David," he continued.

Although the former England international's spell at Goodison was fleeting, Peter admits he loves coming back to Everton.

"Whenever I come back to Everton, everybody is fantastic," he said.

"Although I was only there two years, it was a fantastic two years. We were not a great team but the atmosphere at that time was magnificent. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Howard Kendall and Colin Harvey."