Once his days as an interim had been curtailed, David Unsworth needed a break. A breather to, as he put it, “plug himself back in”.

Five weeks in the spotlight at Everton had culminated in the giddy high of a thumping 4-0 victory at home to West Ham United at the end of November, yet the constant peaks and troughs of his brief tenure had taken their toll. His had been a crash course in coaching at elite level.

Another period of readjustment has been required since returning to his role as manager of the club’s under-23s, the coach cast back into familiar surroundings, although Monday’s win over Tottenham Hotspur suggests that Unsworth and Everton are safely ensconced back in the old routine.

“To begin