Former Portsmouth assistant manager tipped to land Everton job after Carlo Ancelotti's exit to Real Madrid

The Toffees are searching for a new boss as Carlo Ancelotti stepped down at the end of the 2020-21 season to return to Real Madrid.

And Galtier has emerged as a potential candidate to take over the driving seat at Goodison Park.

He surprisingly handed in his resignation at Lille last month only days after remarkably guiding them to the Ligue 1 title ahead of superpowers Paris Saint-Germain.

Galtier spent seven-and-a-half months at Pompey during their Premier League days.

He arrived as Alain Perin's assistant in April 2005 following the dismissal of Velimir Zajec.

The pair had previously worked together at United Arab Emirates side Al Ain – and would continue to remain together beyond their time at Fratton Park at Sochaux, Lyon and Saint-Etienne.

However, Galtier’s time on the south coast would be brief. He and Perrin were sacked only three months into the 2005-06 campaign.

They won just four of their 21 league games in charge, with the Blues sitting just outside the relegation zone at the time of their departure.

However, Galtier's displayed his prowess as a manager since going solo.

He won the French League Cup with Saint-Etienne in 2013 before guiding Lille to only their fourth league title in the club's history.

The 54-year-old has also been named Ligue 1 Manager of the Year on three occasions.

Now he could return to England for the first time since being axed by Pompey almost 16 years ago.

Lille sporting director, Luis Campos, told Sky Sports that Galtier – who is currently the 9/4 second favourite with Sky Bet – would be perfect to land the role in Merseyside.

He said: ‘Christophe has all the qualities to coach in England, technically he is very astute and is extremely detailed in his planning when preparing a team.

‘He likes a 4-4-2 system, which would fit with the Premier League and he is a fantastic motivator in the dressing room.

‘He likes to build a side with quality and youth, he is someone that can develop a team ethic, and he is also a fantastic human being.’