Howard Kendall began his management career at player-manager of Blackburn Rovers, successfully overseeing their promotion to the second division and narrowly missing out on promotion to the first division the following season. This established him as a bright prospect and his connections to Everton (he played for them) led to him becoming Everton manager in 1981. His first few years were a struggle and he faced the sack in 1984 before going on to win the FA cup that season and reaching the league cup final. Kendall had cleverly built a very good team by recruiting cheaply from the lower leagues, picking up bargains such as Peter Reid and Neville Southall, while several young players came through the ranks and added to the moderately good side he inherited. The season after his FA cup triumph, Kendall managed Everton to the league championship and picked up a European cup winners' cup medal in the same season. The next year, he reached the FA cup final and finished runners up to Liverpool in the league. In 1986-87, Kendall guided Everton to a second league title in three years, becoming one of Everton's most successful ever managers. Given the strength of the competition in the form of an excellent Liverpool side and the quality of football that Everton played under Kendall during his first spell at the club, many argue he is their finest manager. Having won the title for a second time, Kendall sought a new challenge in Spain at Athletic Bilbao, achieving reasonable league positions before being sacked. The remainder of Kendall's career - including two further spells at Everton - didn't live up to his first spell at Everton and he won no significant silverware for the rest of his managerial career.
British league champions: 2
Foreign league champions: 0
European cup: 0
European cup winners' cup: 1
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