Everton Women striker Toni Duggan has promised there is still plenty more to come from the squad as they enter the final three fixtures of the calendar year.

Duggan – who got off the mark for the campaign with the winning goal against Durham last weekend – is convinced there is enough quality within the group to climb up the Women’s Super League table.

The team’s next test is against West Ham United at Walton Hall Park on Sunday (1pm GMT), before the Blues host Manchester United in a Continental Cup encounter on Wednesday 15 December. Everton's final fixture of 2021 is away at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 19 December.

Everton Season Ticket and Official Members can attend Sunday's game against West Ham – and the Blues' clash with Manchester United at Walton Hall Park – FOR FREE. Click here to take advantage of our special offer and claim your free tickets for both games!

All other fans can secure their places at Walton Hall Park for £8 for adults and £4 for concessions here.

“The upcoming games are massive,” Duggan told evertontv.

“We’ve dug out results in our past three games and now we need to continue to build that winning mentality.

“There’s still more to come from us as a team. It was good that we got the result against Durham, but we’ve had better performances.

“We’re learning under the new manager, and we’ve had a lot of new faces in the group.

“It’s going to take time to gel but it’s a great squad that we’ve got, and I believe that we can do well this year.”

The England international is confident Everton will steadily improve as new boss Jean-Luc Vasseur implements his principles.

“When the manager changes, a lot of other things change too," she added.

“It’s the dynamic of the group, the training sessions, the formation.

"We have the quality to do well. For us, it was a difficult start to the season – we came up against Manchester City and Chelsea and they’ve been building teams for years.

“We’re a brand-new team. The Club has really invested this year.

“As the season goes on, you’ll see us build more momentum and players feel more comfortable within their roles.

“You look at players like Hanna Bennison and Grace Clinton, and we’ve probably got two of the best kids in the world.

“There’s so much talent in the team."

Duggan expressed her relief to open her goalscoring account in her second spell with the Blues and added that it has felt special to play in front of Evertonians at Walton Hall Park – a venue where the 30-year-old began to develop in Everton's academy at a young age.

“It had been a few games [not scoring], and I was getting frustrated," she admitted.

“I’ve been trying to help the team in other ways, but I think now the first one has gone in, I can relax a little bit.

“Hopefully there’s still more to come. As a striker, you know it’s your responsibility to score.

“When I’m not scoring but I’m still performing well it’s quite difficult to take. I’m glad I got the goal.

“Coming back home and back to Walton Hall Park where I used to play as a kid – it's been great. You can see the changes that Everton have made, the amount of investment, and the pitch is gorgeous.

“When we have a full house, it really makes a difference. Everton fans have always been great with the women’s team.

“When they get there and make a good atmosphere you can see what it does for us, for example against Manchester United [in last month's 1-1 draw]. They pushed us on to get a point.

“Hopefully they can get back down this weekend and get behind us and we can match it with a good performance.”

Duggan has settled in well to life back in Blue and her experience has helped guide the younger players in the squad, such as England Under-19 star Clinton. Duggan believes the youngster can be a prominent figure in the Everton team for many years to come.

“She’s the future of Everton," Duggan added.

“I think the reason I relate to her so much is because I was in her position not so long ago. I was the kid on the team.

“I just want her to do as well as she can. There’s a very bright future for her in the game.”

Season Ticket Members and Official Members can attend Everton Women's final two home games of 2021 FOR FREE!

All other fans can secure their places at Walton Hall Park for £8 for adults and £4 for concessions here.

Matches Everton Season Ticket Members and Official Members can attend for free in December:

Sunday 12 December: Everton Women v West Ham United Women, Women’s Super League, 1pm.
Wednesday 15 December: Everton Women v Manchester United Women, Continental Cup, 7pm.