JUERGEN KLINSMANN may be invited to make the inevitable transformation from ageing player to fledgling manager with Everton.

As the dust began to settle in the wake of Joe Royle's sudden departure from Goodison Park early on Thursday afternoon, Klinsmann was one of an exclusive band to feature on a shortlist of potential successors drawn up by Everton's ambitious chairman Peter Johnson.

Although Johnson would dearly like to lure Bobby Robson away from Barcelona during the summer, he is already making contingency plans in case the former England manager should decide to remain in Spain. Willie Donachie has been appointed as caretaker.

Everton actually rekindled what is a long-standing interest in Klinsmann earlier this month when it was announced that he tends to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the current season.

Certainly, Johnson's determination to unearth an individual of elevated profile is such that he would not balk at the prospect of making Klinsmann the highest paid player/manager in world football at £55,000 a week.