He said: "I have great respect for Gerard Houllier and what he has achieved at Liverpool.
"I have sat here tonight and listened to Ron Yeats speak with great passion about Liverpool and the rivalry here on Merseyside. But, just for the moment Ron, we are ahead of you in the table and that's something we are proud of. It's a special honour, especially when you have just come to a city like Liverpool and had the people take to you.
"From my first day - it took us 29 seconds to score a goal - I felt that someone was looking after me. I would like to thank the Everton Board of Directors for taking a gamble on me. I was a not very good player and an inexperienced manager, but they gave me a chance and I know there are plenty of other managers in the Nationwide League who could do it too."