Smith to stay at Everton

Walter Smith has committed his future to Everton until 2003 following Bill Kenwright's £20 million take-over of the club.

The Goodison Park manager confirmed his new contract just 90 minutes after his side had thrashed Sunderland 5-0 yesterday. The former Rangers chief had been openly considering his future during the months of a take-over saga that had left the club in limbo.

But the first benefit of Kenwright's successful take-over of Peter Johnson's 68 per cent majority holding, announced on Christmas Eve, is that Smith has agreed to throw his weight behind the new regime.

Smith said: "Obviously I have been hoping that Bill would take over the club. I said at the annual general meeting that the reasons I joined the club are still the same despite all the problems."

Meanwhile, Kevin Keegan has insisted he would not turn his back on England if they failed to come up to scratch in next year's European Championship finals.

Referring to remarks he made before the World Cup qualifying draw in Tokyo earlier this month, the England said: "I never used the word quit. I never said I would go if we failed.

"What I said was the World Cup was great and I was really looking forward to the draw and all the games but, let's be honest, the team and I need a good Euro 2000.

"That has to be the priority. That is what I have got to focus on because if we don't then maybe the World Cup will be beyond me. Where's the quit in there?"