Former Norwich City star Joe Royle leaves Everton

Former Norwich City striker Joe Royle has left his role as part of the Everton backroom staff.

Royle, a former Everton manager and player, leaves Goodison a week after Sam Allardyce was named as the club’s new manager.

The 68-year-old – who scored 102 goals in 232 appearances for Everton between 1967 and 1971 – worked alongside David Unsworth overseeing youth development, helping players progress to the first team.

Royle, who also managed Ipswich Town, played for the Canaries from 1980-82, at the end of his career, scoring nine goals in 42 appearances.

However, he returned to Carrow Road in June 2014 as a footballing consultant to the then new Canaries manager Neil Adams, who had played under Royle at Oldham for five years.

However, his stay lasted just only a little more than six weeks before he was lured back to Everton, saying: “I was happy with my role at Norwich City and wouldn’t have considered an offer from any other club than Everton.”