HOWARD LOOKING UP

Tim Howard says Everton will continue to look up rather than down.

The fifth-placed Toffees now have a seven point cushion over closest pursuers Portsmouth.

But the focus is now firmly on overhauling Liverpool in fourth spot, with the Merseyside derby at Anfield taking place this week

Howard told evertonTV: "I don't think you ever need any added incentive in derbies but there will be this year because of how close we are.

"We are looking to get a result but that would be the case no matter what."

A positive result at Anfield would help make up for the frustration of the 1-1 draw against West Ham last time out.

"It was definitely an opportunity missed,” added Howard. “We were all over them in the first half, but after the break it didn’t work out the same.

“We feel as though we really dropped three points. It shows how far we have come that we are looking up at Liverpool in fourth rather than down. The positive is that we have moved a bit away from the others below us, and at this point of the season we have to take the positives.”

The USA keeper's personal preparations for Sunday's clash haven't been aided by a midweek trip to Poland with his national side.

"It’s tough, it's not easy at the moment," he admitted. "But that’s the responsibility heaped on our shoulders at the moment, so we’ll just have to be professional and get rest and recovery when we return.”

See the full, exclusive interview with Tim Howard on evertonTV now.