Soccer-Dutchman Koeman named as Everton's new manager

* Koeman given task of reviving Everton after 11th place finish * Dutchman succeeds Martinez (Adds background) By Martyn Herman June 14 (Reuters) - Ronald Koeman signed a three-year contract as Everton manager after fellow Premier League club Southampton reluctantly accepted the much-travelled Dutchman's resignation on Tuesday. The 53-year-old, who will begin work with his ninth club as manager, succeeds Roberto Martinez who was sacked last month. Koeman, a European Cup winner as a player with PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona, joined Southampton in 2014 and led them to seventh and sixth-placed finishes in the Premier League. While Southampton begin the search for a new manager to lead them in the Europa league next season, Koeman's job will be to revive an Everton side that finished a disappointing 11th last season despite an eye-catching squad. Everton are set for significant investment after British-Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri purchased a 49.9 percent stake in the Merseyside club. "Everton is a club with a great history and real ambition and it is a proud feeling for me to be part of what we want to go and do, together with the chairman and Farhad Moshiri," Koeman told www.evertonfc.com. "I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the club and to preparing for a big season in the Premier League." While a setback for Southampton, who lost coach Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham Hotspur in 2014, nine-times English champions Everton have landed the man they believe can take them forward. "We are really pleased to have secured the man who was our number one target from the moment we set out to appoint a new manager," chairman Bill Kenwright said. "Ronald has such a strong track record in the game, instantly commanding respect for what he achieved as a player and for his qualities and accomplishments as a manager." Koeman earned 78 caps for the Netherlands and enjoyed a glittering playing career as a ball-playing defender with a fearsome shot. He won multiple Dutch league titles with Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven before moving to Barcelona. He collected an array of medals in his six years at the Nou Camp as part of a so-called dream team including the likes of Hristo Stoichkov, Romario, Pep Guardiola and Michael Laudrup. As well as four consecutive La Liga titles, Koeman scored the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final. As a manager Koeman has won eight trophies, including three Dutch Eredivisie titles with Ajax and PSV and the King's Cup during a spell at Valencia. He is the only man to have played for and managed the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands -- Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. Koeman's compatriot Frank de Boer is one of the favourites to replace him at Southampton, according to British bookmakers. "The search has already begun for the right appointment who can take the club to the next level and build on our track record of recent success," a statement from Southampton said. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)