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Everton FC to use Football Manager as recruiting tool

Sports Interactive to provide the club's management team with the game's database of 370,000 players and staff

Everton Football Club has signed a deal with Sports Interactive to make use of the Football Manager database for recruiting purposes.

The database, containing information on over 370,000 players and staff, will be used by the club's manager, David Moyes, to search through 20,000 active teams in more than 50 countries, with immediate access to the largest scouting network in football with over 1,000 scouts worldwide.

"The game's database is a valuable resource with the most extensive scouting network in football so Everton FC is making a top signing," said Sports Interactive co-founder, Paul Collyer.

"I am personally delighted with today’s announcement as I’m a Toffees fan. Standing on the pitch with my signing on shirt is as close to my boyhood dream of playing at Goodison Park as I will ever get."

Studio Director Miles Jacobson added: "We've known for a while that teams use the game to research certain players, whether to buy or to check out the opposition, but this formal recognition by a premiership team is fantastic and we are sure it will prove a fruitful one for the Everton FC."