First impressions could not be more misleading. Standing in front of the large, iron gates awaiting a response on the intercom, it is easy to wonder whether such an impersonal reception is a sign of things to come. But any fears are banished in an instant as Everton manager David Moyes opens the door and welcomes you into his Preston home. 'Lady' and 'Lucy', the family's black labradors, also offer a welcome greeting.
Wearing a white, short-sleeved shirt with the top two buttons undone, Moyes is clearly relaxed as he settles down in the conservatory which overlooks a sizeable back garden. The only hint of formality is a pair of navy trousers, although he admits later that jeans and T-shirt are his usual choice of clothing on days off. Such days are rare for football managers, especially those like Moyes, in charge of Premiership teams, which helps to explain why he is so keen to 'treasure' his spare time.
Though he does find room in his hectic diary for the odd round of golf - 'I'm a member at Preston Golf Club and I play about four times a year' - the mini hole in the garden is more to the liking of his son, also called David. "He has just turned 13 and he's a keen sportsman." As for their respective handicaps, Moyes merely says: "He's catching me up."
Moyes' family, which also includes wife Pamela and nine-year-old daughter Lauren, plays a huge part in his life. As well as regular sessions on the garden trampoline, they eat out once a week, and this summer spent their annual holiday in America. "I think it's important for the children because that's my time to spend with them and for them to be around me. We went to the Grand Canyon and had a few days in Florida as well. We just want to give them as many experiences as we can."
Hence the decision to send David jnr and Lauren to local comprehensive schools. "In my 20s and early-30s I was dead against private schools," said the Everton boss. "I thought it was wrong to send your kids there. I felt the education you get at a state school was just as good and would help their development more. We want our children to be balanced individuals."
Moyes, however, claims talented sportsmen are slipping through the net due to the lack of facilities at comprehensive schools. "There are so many people at state schools now who may not be greatly educated but enjoy lots of sports. If you don't give them the chance, you'll never find out how good kids are."
To illustrate his point, he refers to the sports scholarships on offer in the States, a country which has evidently had a bearing on his own life. Not only has he spent several holidays there because 'you don't get noticed as much' but he is fascinated by the athletic prowess of basketball players, and the book he is reading at the moment, 'Moneyball', centres around the plight of a cash-strapped baseball team. He even slips the odd Americanism such as '24/7' and 'OTT' into his conversation.
Reading matter for Moyes normally centres around coaching and management techniques, although he admits he is 'one of those people who gets half way through one book and then starts another'. It is a similar attitude to that which governs his music tastes. "I tend to chop and change radio stations in the car, but me and Pamela have been listening to Barry White at home lately.
"The last gig we went to was Paul McCartney in Liverpool, and I would love to see the Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams. I was quite jealous when a couple of the players went down to see Robbie at Knebworth. For me it is like watching the best football teams in the world."
There is inevitably some overlap between Moyes' home and working life, and a televised football match is one of the few reasons he finds for sitting in front of the box. He tries to 'catch the news most nights' but, for a man who regularly spends 11 hours a day out of the house, Coronation Street and Eastenders are not high on his list of priorities.
Part of the reason for his lengthy working day is the hour-long drive to Bellefield, Everton's training ground, the family having decided to stay in the house they bought two years ago while Moyes was manager of Preston. Circumstances, however, may dictate otherwise.
"We love it here, out of the way," he says. "We would be loathe to give it up, but we're looking for somewhere nearer Liverpool to save on the travelling."
If they move, you can be sure it will be to somewhere where Moyes can take 'Lady' and 'Lucy' for their regular exercise. "I love going out with the dogs. It gives me time to reflect - you need time to be on your own sometimes - and it also helps me keep fit." He even includes walking the dogs in his itinerary for a perfect day, which would be spent simply with his wife and children.
Well spoken, articulate and refreshingly averse to the cliché, Moyes comes across as an intelligent, caring husband and father. Despite his wealth, he is anything but boastful - a lake the size of five-a-side football pitch in the garden is referred to as 'a little pond' - and his designer clothes are more a reflection of his desire to 'look as sharp as you can' than anything resembling vanity.
One suspects Moyes is much the same person he was when he met Pamela at a disco in Drymen, near Glasgow, in 1980 (they courted for eight years before 'she got her hooks in'), although he admits he is now slightly more cautious in his approach to life.
"I always had plenty to say for myself when I was a player, but you become a bit more middle-of-the-road when you're in this business because you're worried about what people are saying.
"You don't always have a chance to show them what type of person you are. I probably come across as a serious person - the wrinkles around my eyes don't help - but I don't see myself as serious. I'm quite relaxed and I enjoy other people's company."
* Article reproduced by kind permission of Players Club - the Official publication of the PFA.
