There is a packed edition of the Official Matchday Programme for the FA Cup tie against Brentford, including in-depth interviews with new manager Frank Lampard and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, notes from CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, a chat with young forward Lewis Dobbin and a former player interview with David Henen.

Pick up a copy, priced £3.50, around the ground at Goodison Park or, alternatively, click here to order a copy online now.

Good afternoon.

It was a huge honour to be asked to manage this great football club and I am so excited about my first match.

I know all about the size and history of Everton and understand the expectation that comes with representing the Club. 

Coming to Goodison Park was among the toughest asks of the season. It was so difficult as an opposition player, to be honest. You never felt settled. Everton were in your faces, whipped up by the crowd. And when the team got going, the fans gave even more. It was a powerful combination. 

I managed a game here, too, and the atmosphere on that day was so special, as good as anything in the world.

Our job is to give you a team that mirrors that level of support, that plays with the same passion and ambition you bring to the game every week.

I’d always listened to the owner and Chairman here and thought these were people who cared so much about their club. People who were driven and passionate and determined to bring success to Everton.

When I met them for the first time that was exactly how they were. It is brilliant when you feel that backing and openness and unity in person. Those things are essential for us to achieve our long-term vision for Everton.

Everyone at the Club is pulling in the same direction and I will always communicate and show you how we are working towards our goals.

I have a fantastic group of staff with me. Joe Edwards was my assistant at Chelsea who I know is a fantastic coach and has a wide range of skills to help us get where we want to be.

I worked with Chris Jones as a player and he was in my coaching team at Derby County and Chelsea. He is another part of our team I can rely on.

Paul Clement is experienced, he understands football and footballers, and is a winner.

Ashley Cole doesn’t need any introduction. He’s one of the best footballers I played with and is going the same way as a coach. Ash is bright and imaginative and enthusiastic and really wanted to come to Everton.

I want to mention Duncan Ferguson, too. He is a legend at this club, respected by everyone at Everton and I’m well aware of why he’s held in such high regard by our fans.

Alan Kelly commands respect, too, a coach who has developed strong relationships with our keepers and is meticulous and professional in everything he does.

The timing of my appointment, on transfer deadline day, made for an incredibly hectic few hours trying to complete the deals we wanted.

Dele and Donny were the two players we prioritised and the owner, Chairman and Board worked extraordinarily hard to get those moves across the line.

When you receive that support from above, it hardens your desire to repay those people with results and performances.

We are excited about getting to work with Dele. He has all the attributes to be one of the best players in the Premier League. That was the level he attained a couple of years ago and I can see the hunger in him to get back there.

We need to be patient with Dele, he’s come to a new club and not had an awful lot of football of late. But the Dele I know scores and creates goals, he’s aggressive and passionate and up for the fight. There is everything in there to be a proper Everton player.

Donny is another player who needs a platform to show what he can do. We want more goals from midfield and he can help with that. He’s a tremendous passer of the ball and can put his foot in, too. Above all, talking to Donny, I could see the motivation and desire to play for Everton. 

We welcome Thomas Frank and the staff and players of Brentford.

Thomas is doing a fabulous job with his team. I know how difficult it is to get out of the Championship. He managed that last season and is establishing Brentford as a competitive, serious Premier League team. 

The irony of starting with an FA Cup game isn’t lost on me. A few people have mentioned my Cup final goal against Everton – and my dad’s in the 1980 semi-final.

The main point there is – that’s where we want Everton. Going deep in cup competitions, giving ourselves a chance to win trophies and competing with the top teams.

But we can’t lose sight of the short-term targets. The objective today is a place in the fifth-round draw, then it is on with the job of trying to climb the Premier League as quickly as possible.

I can’t wait to get started.

Enjoy the match.

Frank