Marco Silva is encouraging his players to embrace growing expectations around the Club – and insists Everton’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Sunday represents an opportunity to “prove our quality”.

Everton have won eight and drawn four of their past 15 top-flight games, a sequence stretching back to the closing months of last season.

That run made England manager Gareth Southgate sit up and take notice. He suggested this week that defender Michael Keane’s progress would be aided by playing in high-profile contests for a team Southgate envisages competing in the league’s upper echelons.

Everton sit sixth ahead of this weekend’s visit to the south coast and beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 last time out.

“When I hear that from a national team manager, it is really important for us,” Silva told evertontv.

“For the players more than me because they understand what we are doing here is developing them and getting them better every day.

“Giving them the conditions to play international games and at a high level – it is one of the main aims for me, apart from the results.

 
“To play tough games and [compete] for the top positions, to play international matches and European competitions – all these things give the players the feeling they are at a high level.

“Having that pressure of approaching all the matches to win is something which has to be natural.

“If you have extra pressure it means you are in a good position in the table – and that is a good thing for me.

“We have to keep working with the players to make it something natural for them.”

Keane won England caps eight and nine and maintained his ever-present European Championship qualifying record in this month’s international break.

He started and finished victories over Bulgaria and Kosovo – 10 months on from being recalled by Southgate after being rejuvenated under Everton boss Silva.

“I remember what he [Southgate] said last season, the first time [following Silva’s arrival] he had called Michael to the national team,” said Silva.

“He said the way Everton were playing helped Michael be there, he tried to see which players fitted best in his philosophy.

“The main thing for us is to get results for Everton and achieve our goals – but in the meantime we are here to work and develop players for them to achieve important things in their careers.

“First with Everton, then with their national teams.”

Bournemouth have drawn one and lost one at home this term, a replica of Everton’s record away from Goodison Park.

Both teams could fairly claim those returns don’t reflect performances. Everton created a glut of chances in drawing at Crystal Palace and, although not performing as well against Aston Villa, fashioned enough openings to take something from the contest.

 
The Cherries, who won on their visit to Villa, fell victim to a late Sheffield United equaliser on their own ground and were defeated at home by rampant champions Manchester City.

Imperative for Silva is that his side goes to Bournemouth and operates with courage and intent.

He said: “It is really important.

“Our approach and ambition will be the same [as at Goodison].

“It will be a good challenge for us and one more moment for us to prove our quality.

“Not just the backline, the whole team.

“We go to Bournemouth to win, respecting them, knowing they haven’t won at home but we haven’t won away.

“We go away to try to keep our way and our philosophy – to play to win.

“Knowing in some moments they will have the ball and we have to be really strong and solid because they have quality.

“And when we have the ball, attack them and create chances to score – but in the meantime remain balanced.”

 
Everton were tasked with suppressing the powerful Raul Jimenez of Wolves a fortnight ago and earlier this term encountered equally physical forwards in Watford’s Troy Deeney and Wesley of Aston Villa.

Bournemouth’s forward line includes a number of skilful and incisive runners, England striker Callum Wilson among them.

“They have high-quality players, the individual players in their attack line and out wide are really, really good,” added Silva.

“Bournemouth have a different profile, fast and skilful players.

“Let’s see how they will approach the game, with two strikers like normal or not.

“Both teams want to win the game and it will be a good match to see and enjoy.