Keane Reveals Blues' Belief Ahead Of Burnley Clash

Michael Keane insists Everton have the quality and belief to embark on a positive run of results - and is confident victory at former club Burnley on Saturday (3pm) could be a launchpad for Marco Silva’s team.

Everton head into the game after seeing an ambitious, high-octane display against back-to-back Premier League champions Manchester City go unrewarded last Saturday.

The Blues carved out a host of opportunities in a breathless clash with Pep Guardiola’s team but were eventually edged out 3-1 at Goodison Park.

Everton fired eight shots on target during the contest – the most City have faced in a top-flight encounter for almost four years.

Centre-back Keane says Everton must build on the encouraging aspects of that performance and is convinced the team can summon a similar run of form to that achieved at the back end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Everton took 21 points from their final 11 matches of the season, conclusively dispatching top-six contenders Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United along the way.

“We know the quality we’ve got in the changing room,” Keane said.

“We see it day in, day out on the training field and we need to take that into matchdays now and go on a good run.

“We’ve proven how good a team we can be. We need to stick together, we’ll come through this tough time. Hopefully we can put it to an end on Saturday and look forward.

“One or two good performances and results in a row and confidence will go sky-high again.

“Once we get a few wins, I think we’ve got the potential to go on a good run.”


Keane has been named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Three Lions' upcoming games against Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

The 26-year-old joins Everton teammates Jordan Pickford and Fabian Delph in the squad for the European Championship qualifiers.

The defender’s focus is firmly on heading into the international break on the back of an Everton success at Turf Moor.

Keane joined the Blues from Burnley in 2017 after three successful seasons in Lancashire.

Having worked under Clarets boss Sean Dyche for an extensive period, Keane recognises the tough examination awaiting Everton on Saturday.

But he believes the talent and determination in the Toffees' team – allied with the passionate backing of travelling Evertonians – can see the Blues emerge with maximum points.

“Everyone knows the way Burnley play and it will be a tough battle,” Keane said.

“But they [the Burnley players] are a lot better footballers than the credit they get given. I saw that first-hand when I was there.

“We know it will be a difficult game and it will be physical, but we’ve just got to go there, show our quality and try to control the game like we did last year [a 5-1 Everton victory on Boxing Day].

“We definitely can turn things around.

“The fans have been brilliant. They have stuck behind us and we need them to continue to do that.

“The away support has always been amazing and spurs us along. Hopefully we can get a result to send them home happy on Saturday.”