Koeman was so obsessed with Barcelona, he even had them on his number plate

Everton players did not have to search hard for video or still images of Ronald Koeman in his playing pomp. They needed only to glance at Koeman’s social media feed with its regular “throwbacks” to him scoring goals and winning trophies for Barcelona and Holland.

Koeman enjoyed a magical career with the ball at his feet, conquering Europe with his country in 1988 and with his club in 1992, but the frequent references on Twitter to such feats hinted at an ego to rival the size of his footballing talent. It is hard to recall Zinédine Zidane, Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti eulogising their own glittering playing days. They focus on the present, on nurturing players, not feeling a desire to take a self-admiring stroll