Marcel Brands insists he always worked with his hands tied at Everton.

The Dutchman arrived at Everton with the reputation as one of the best sporting directors in Europe before eventually being forced out.

He recalled to AD: "I wanted to install my philosophy and my structure in the club that would allow Everton to progress, but the decisions from above didn't allow it.

"In the summer of 2021 we were looking to buy Luis Díaz from Porto.

"I was working hard to convince James Rodríguez to move to Porto as part of the deal that would have brought Díaz, but Rafa Benítez spoke out against it because he wasn't sure about the player."