Former Everton winger Andy van der Meyde claims that David Moyes once had him by the throat in training.

The Dutchman has earned himself a reputation as a troublemaker whose spell with the Toffees was often marred with controversy.

Signing from Inter Milan for £2million in 2005, the former Netherlands international failed to really make an impact at Goodison Park, and his lack of game time was mainly due to the spiky relationship he had with then-manager Moyes.

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Van der Meyde specifically blames the breakdown in his relationship with Moyes for his career being stunted on Merseyside.

Talking to fellow former Everton man Davy Klaassen on his YouTube channel (via Liverpool Echo), Van der Meyde claimed that Moyes not bringing him off the bench against Middlesbrough caused a training pitch argument that saw Moyes see red, saying:

I did have some periods [at Everton] when I thought ‘just put me in man! He (David Moyes) would put in a defender while we were behind. That would annoy me a lot.

Come on man. That’s why I got in a fight with Moyes. It went bad from there. We were behind 1-0 against Middlesbrough and he puts in a defender.

I thought ‘what the hell is that?’ Are you crazy? Then I completely lost it. And you had to train after match.

I said ‘the hell with it, I’m not going to train. I’m going home.

Then he grabbed me by the throat, Moyes. Then we got in a fight. After this it went downhill.

I never should have shaken his hand, after he grabbed me. I should have said ‘just buy me out of my contract or I’ll go to the media or something. I also could have done that. But I didn’t do it. I gave him a hand.”

Van Der Meyde did concede though that much of what went wrong at Everton was down to his own decisions, saying:

But it’s [Everton] a nice club. Sometimes I complain and say it’s a s*** club and this and that. It was also my own fault.

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I’m a little surprised to hear of Moyes’ reaction, but Van der Meyde’s actions don’t surprise me one bit, such has his reputation preceded him.

However the specific incident he mentions is a little confusing, as the Liverpool Echo points out. Van der Meyde was never kept on the bench while a defender came on instead against Middlesbrough, meaning he must have mentioned the wrong game for this incident to have occurred after.

The Dutchman is a character, that’s for sure.