Carlo Ancelotti and his backroom team’s efforts to bring success to Everton are being aided by the surefire professionalism of Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines.

Manager Ancelotti and his close-knit group of staff are overseeing a demanding period of training as Everton race to prepare for the proposed resumption of Premier League football this month.

Head of Physical Conditioning Francesco Mauri is one of those responsible for designing sessions and the Italian insists his job is made "easier" knowing 31-year-old Coleman and Baines, 35, will lead by example at USM Finch Farm.

Right-back and captain Coleman is in his 11th full Everton campaign after signing at the start of 2009 and former England left-back Baines has been at Goodison Park since joining from Wigan Athletic 13 years ago.

They have played a combined 727 matches for the Club and between them scored 65 goals.

“Leighton and Seamus are always among the best players in training,” Mauri told evertonfc.com.

“Every day they want to show the young players how you have to be professional and competitive to play for this club.

“They make your job easier and we are very happy to have them.

“When a teammate says something to you, it is sometimes more effective than if a member of staff or the manager says it to you.

“It is not easy for the boss or the staff because you don’t want to be too aggressive.

“When a teammate or the captain or a player with a lot of experience says something, it is easier to accept.

“It is very important to have leaders who make your job easier.

“The general level of competition in training is very high and that has pleased us because it is very important to replicate the intensity you have during a game.

“The players were very excited to return to contact training, it feels more normal for them.

“Players show their competitiveness in different ways, it can depend on their nationalities.

“Some speak a lot and others are quieter.

“But they all have in common a desire to compete at a high-level.”

Italian Ancelotti added six new faces to the Goodison staff when he was appointed manager in December.

Mauri and assistant manager Davide Ancelotti were among those to join the likes of Director of Medical Services Danny Donachie and Duncan Ferguson, who assumed his role as assistant manager following his whirlwind caretaker spell in charge, to form an elite team behind the scenes at Everton.

The bedding-in process for Mauri and his fellow new arrivals began smoothly – something reflected by and large on the field with Everton claiming 18 points from 11 league games under Ancelotti – but was interrupted by football’s suspension back in March.

Everton returned to work a fortnight ago following the coronavirus shutdown and, with limited time to get ready for competitive action – a task the Premier League moved to ease on Thursday by permitting teams to use five substitutes and name nine players on the bench for games – rapidly advanced to full contact training this week.

Mauri’s wife has remained in Italy for the time being which has led the fitness expert to temporarily amend his living arrangements.

“It was very strange with everything stopping suddenly,” said Mauri, who was with Ancelotti at former clubs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Napoli.

“I like the city and had started to know it before lockdown.

“My wife is in Italy for now – the situation there with coronavirus was very aggressive and it was difficult for us – so I am living with Davide [Ancelotti] in Formby.

“We enjoy the area, it is beautiful.

“We run and go out on our bikes… I like the city but there are lots of things to do and places to go near Liverpool, which I didn't know.

“It is very important to be comfortable with the city where you live when you are working in football.

“Davide and I probably speak too much about football – but our wives are not here so we are allowed to talk about it all day long!”