Keown played more than 100 games for the Goodison Park team before leaving for Arsenal.
He went on to win more than one Premier League title under Arsene Wenger at the Gunners.
Keown, speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, stated: “I probably shouldn’t have gone to Everton, as Aston Villa were offering me really low wages, but they were claiming it was the best offer.
“And then they offered three times more money on the last day, and I was like, well, where’s this come from?”
He added: “Howard (Kendall) was brilliant for me. Again, trusted me, believed in me, pushed me. But in that period at Everton, I had a chronic back injury. And I was in agony with my back. I’d go home and lie on the floor.
“For two years, I was doing this. I was playing for England and I couldn’t stand up straight if I bent down. So I went through all that period at Everton, somehow managing to get on the pitch.
“But strangely… less was more because I had to pick and choose. I couldn’t run around like an idiot anymore. I couldn’t make all these tackles. I became more like a Rolls Royce. And I thought, and then suddenly these rave reviews, what’s happened to Keown, his performances are getting better, he’s picking and choosing, he’s more calmer. I was in agony, but it made me a better player.”
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