'A great Christmas present for Everton fans' - Stubbs

Former Everton captain Alan Stubbs joined BBC Radio Merseyside to discuss The Friedkin Group's takeover of the club:

"It is a great Christmas present for Everton fans, one that was a long time coming. We can draw a line under previous ownerships and move on into a brighter future, hopefully with the new stadium on the horizon.

"What they [The Friedkin Group] have done already is put in place some sort of structure, with Marc Watts as executive chairman, Daniel Friedkin as chairman and Ana Dunkel as chief financial officer, as well as keeping Colin Chong on an interim basis. Straight away, you are looking at people who have a business acumen taking the club forward. That is all that we have wanted.

"They have gone about it in an impressive way, they have not spoken too much, and as we all know, actions speak louder than words. We are looking for actions now.

"The one thing we can guarantee as a fanbase is that we will be right behind them. There is no doubt about that. This club is desperate for a lift."

Listen to the full interview now on BBC Sounds