Mason Holgate put his hand up to fill Everton’s vacant midfield position against Manchester United – and admitted the experience of stepping into unfamiliar territory at Old Trafford represented a “massive learning curve”.

Holgate claimed a regular centre-back starting spot across the past two months but, in the view of caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson, was “tremendous” in his more advanced position on Sunday.

Ferguson was already without midfield pair Fabian Delph and Morgan Schneiderlin, in addition to long-term absentees Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin, when sickness ruled out Gylfi Sigurdsson on the morning of the game.

Holgate promptly informed his boss he was ready to plug the gap and quickly learned the two men were thinking along the same lines.

“I found out just after our pre-match meeting, so probably about 11.30 [two-and-a-half hours before kick-off],” Holgate told evertontv.

“But we found out Gyfli wasn’t very well and I had a word with Duncan, I went too see him and told him I was happy to do a job in there if he needed me.

“He said, ‘Yeah’, so I got my head around it quite quickly and I was ready.

“He told me after [I’d volunteered] that it was happening anyway but I went and said I’m more than happy to play anywhere to try to help the team.

“I’m not going to end up playing there for the rest of my career but it helps me understand another position.

“I want to be a centre-back but I’m more than happy to play anywhere where I’m needed.

“The more positions I play, the more it helps me when I talk to other people because I understand what’s happening.

“It was a massive learning curve for me, the first time I’ve played there in a Premier League game and something I’ll definitely learn from.”

Holgate, who spent the second half of last season on loan in the Championship with West Bromwich Albion, made three clearances, two blocks and won possession for his side on five occasions.

The 22-year-old won seven of his eight duels and aimed two attempts at goal. He drew more fouls (4) than any other player on the field.

Holgate stood up to the physical rigours of playing in midfield and made light of being denied the time on the ball to which he’s accustomed at centre-half, shifting possession swiftly and purposefully.

“You’re in different positions when you’re receiving the ball, things are around you, at centre-half everything is in front of you,” said Holgate, who has played 61 times for Everton since joining from Barnsley in August 2015.

“In midfield everything seems be happening behind you, around you, at the side of you.

“So, it was a case of getting used to that. But I played with Tom Davies, midfield is his position, so that helped me a lot.

“People around me talking made it easier. [Centre-backs] Michael [Keane] and Yerry [Mina] helped me out a lot… with the runs made behind me,, when to jump and when to sit back.

“I played there [central midfield] for the under-18s at Barnsley, then once for the under-21s here, and I came on in midfield for five minutes when I was at West Brom.

“So, I’ve played there a tiny bit, but not in a game as big as that.”

Everton led through Victor Lindelof’s 36th-minute own goal against Manchester United but had to make do with a point after substitute Mason Greenwood’s low shot squared the scores with 13 minutes to play.

The Blues saw out the closing stages with relatively few alarms – and, indeed, United needed goalkeeper David De Gea at full stretch to deny Alex Iwobi a winner for the away team – to add one point to the three they earned in victory over Chelsea eight days earlier.

Everton have twice lost Premier League matches in stoppage time this season – at Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City – and Holgate insisted his side were determined to avoid a repeat of those experiences.

“We’ve learned from things like that [late goals conceded],” added Holgate.

“We got together after they scored, made ourselves strong, and it wasn’t going to happen again.

“We’ve spoken about it and, where before we were still open if we conceded, we got ourselves in, together and tight, and made sure it didn’t happen again.

“That is a sign of the direction the squad is going. We are learning from our mistakes and I think that is starting to show.”