Everton manager Ronald Koeman has revealed he attempted to bring former assistant Sammy Lee to Merseyside with him upon his move from Southampton in the summer.

What's the word?

Writing in his column for Duch newspaper De Telegraaf, the 53-year-old has shed light on his move from the South Coast.

He's explained his compatriots, including brother Erwin, were allowed to join him on his move to Goodison Park after two successful years with the Saints, though Claude Puel's arrival prevented any further additions.

''When I announced that I was going to Everton, the Dutch were allowed to leave but not Sammy and goalkeeping coach Dave Watson either'', wrote the former Barcelona defender.

Still, the former Bolton manager was eventually moved on from St. Mary's as Puel looked to stamp his authority onto the setup.

''Sammy later still had to go, because the new coach of Southampton brought two assistants.''

What stopped it?

Though Koeman has revealed he did indeed want to bring the 57-year-old with him to the Toffees, his strong connections to arch-rivals Liverpool all but blocked any move.

Lee has a strong affinity to the Reds, having played almost 200 games there in his earlier days, during a decade-long stint between 1976-1986.

He's since worked on the coaching staff at Anfield twice, under the likes of Roy Evans, Gérard Houllier and Rafa Benitez.

“Then I’ve looked at what I could do for Sammy, but I soon noticed that his Liverpool background was a problem'', explained Koeman.

''It was not Sammy as a person, because they may really like him.''

What happened next?

After leaving Southampton, Lee went on to join old friend Sam Allardyce in the England setup, reigniting the partnership the two formed back at Bolton Wanderers.

While Big Sam infamously resigned just 67 days into his time in charge of the Three Lions, Lee was involved in helping Gareth Southgate man the transition during England's latest World Cup qualifiers.