Jordan Pickford is convinced Everton “have the ability” to beat Liverpool when the two sides meet in the Merseyside derby.
The Blues are set to host their near neighbours in their first game back on June 21 following the Premier League’s hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic.
And the derby could take on added significance this time – should Manchester City slip up against Arsenal on June 17, the Reds will have the chance to wrap up the title with a victory.
Everton’s recent record heading into the 236th derby doesn’t make for great reading among Blues fans, and they’ve already suffered two defeats at Anfield this season in the league and FA Cup.
But Pickford believes his side are fully capable of turning the tide over their rivals.
“We want to win every game we play and any sort of derby match is massive for the fans and for players,” Pickford told Sky Sports News.
“We want to show how good we can be and we have an opportunity to beat them. We know they are a good side, they are top of the league. We just want to do our best and try to beat them.
“We know we have the ability in the squad to beat them. We just want to do it for ourselves and our fans.”
On returning from his enforced break, Pickford added: “I've not had a break from football since I was probably a 16-year-old - I've been in the England set up since then - so it's nice for my mind and body to have a reset,” he added.
“We're getting ready to go again but it's been a nice eight or nine weeks off, in the sense of giving your body time to relax.”
