The former England and Chelsea midfielder described his demeanour as ‘calm and excited’ as the Toffees prepare for a bottom-of-the-table battle with the Clarets.

Just four points separate the two rivals with 10 games of the Premier League campaign remaining and the outcome will likely make or break the season for both in their fight for survival.

“With Burnley, and what will be deemed to be at stake, even with nine games to go after it for us, it’s a big pressure game, which is what we’re here for,” he said.

“It’s a big deal. We’re in a reality where we’re fighting at the bottom end of the table to try and stay in the league and that has been the case for a while.

“With every game that goes it becomes more intense so mental and physical preparation is key and then it’s how you perform on the day. We can control a lot of that, the squad will be very focussed and very understanding of what we’re going into.

“I don’t feel tense, I actually feel excited for the level of the game and the competitive nature of it. I loved being involved in competitive games as a player because there’s a lot riding on them and now we have 10 of those. This is the first one in front of us. I’m calm and excited and when the game comes we have to have absolute belief in ourselves.”

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