Carlo Ancelotti wants “fantastic” retiring Everton left-back Leighton Baines to accept a new role with the Club – and is demanding his players return for next season with “new energy and ambition”.

The formidable Baines called time on his career following his 420th Everton appearance in Sunday’s meeting with Bournemouth.

The 35-year-old replaced Lucas Digne for the closing 20 minutes as Everton’s unbeaten Premier League run at Goodison Park was ended after 11 matches.

Ancelotti confirmed immediately after the game that Baines, who scored 39 goals for Everton and is third on the Club’s Premier League appearance list with 348 matches in the competition, would end his career following 13 years at Goodison.

The Italian, who has worked with Baines since being appointed Everton manager seven months ago, tried to convince Baines to prolong his Everton stay into a 14th campaign.

But he will now redirect his efforts into persuading the enormously popular defender to remain with the Club in a non-playing capacity.

“I found a fantastic player and a fantastic professional [when I started working with Baines],” said Ancelotti.

"I asked him to continue but he decided to stop and we have a lot of respect for his decision.

“I think every Evertonian has to be grateful to him. He had a fantastic career here and was a fantastic example for all his teammates.

“We have time to think with him about a new role.

“We would like to know what he wants to do in future

“The fact he can stay with us can be a good opportunity for us to use his knowledge and experience.

“And [a good opportunity] for his future.

“He was important in this six months [after I arrived].

“Not only as a professional, he is still a good left-back.

“But he decided [to finish] so we have to respect this.

“In the next days he has to make a decision [about the potential new position].”

Everton surrendered their unbeaten Goodison sequence to a Bournemouth side who knew only victory would maintain their faint hopes of Premier League survival.

The visitors led when Joshua King converted a 12th-minute penalty after Richarlison was judged to have handled in the box.

Moise Kean, starting for the first time since January and impressive in attack, converted Theo Walcott’s low 41st-minute cross for Everton’s equaliser and the 20-year-old’s second goal for the Club.

Everton appeared to be have a foothold in the game but it was dislodged when Diego Rico’s free-kick in first-half added time was glanced beyond Jordan Pickford by striker Dominic Solanke.

Ancelotti used his full quota of five substitutes after the break – including sending on Baines for his farewell appearance – in a bid to crack Bournemouth’s resistance.

But after Baines had thwarted Callum Wilson with a magnificent challenge in the box, Junior Stanislas escaped down the left to put the result beyond doubt.

It wasn’t enough for Bournemouth to stay up but saw Everton drop one place to 12th in the final standings.

Ancelotti claimed 30 points from 20 Premier League games, an average of 1.5 per game, a return which across the entire season would have seen Everton finish four positions higher in eighth.

“It is a disappointing result, it was not how we wanted to finish but the season is gone,” said Ancelotti.

“It is important for the players to have a rest, because the season was long and complicated, and for them to come back in the middle of August [for pre-season training] with new energy and ambition.

“I think positively about my six months here.

“I found a really well organised club, a club with ambition, a good group of players.

“Strong love from our supporters.

“All positive things.

“But our performances were not good enough.

“We didn’t show consistency, this is what we need to do better next season.

“The strong hope we have is to fight for European competition.

“We were far from this position, a little bit closer at the end, but for next season, the goal is to stay there [high in the table].

“It will be really important to try to improve the squad before the season starts.

“We have time to think about this.

“The market is open until 5 October, I don’t know if it is possible to have the squad ready for when we start [on 12 September] but this is the best possible scenario.”

In line with his target of an appreciable upswing in performances and results next term, Ancelotti insists Everton have plenty of scope for improvement at Goodison.

“The home record is gone and we have to think about having the home record next season,” continued Ancelotti.

“We did well at home this season but can do better.

“Bournemouth had more motivation, this is normal [when only one team has something significant hanging on the result].

“That is why it was really tough, they had control of the game with the long balls, winning a lot of duels and second balls.

“We had good possession but could have been better with the final pass.”