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Neal Maupay is eager to play a key role for Everton when the Blues return to action on Boxing Day.

In a passionate interview with the Liverpool Echo, the Frenchman expresses his gratitude to manager Frank Lampard for the opportunity to play for such a historic club.

"I'm very lucky and grateful to be part of this club, it is a massive club," he said.

"I want to succeed here and I want to help put the club back where it belongs because Everton should be fighting for more than survival. And that's what we are working towards. And we will get there.

“You don't put 11 players on the pitch and, because they're good players, it will work. I have got to know my teammates.

"I have got to know Demarai [Gray], I've got to know Anthony, I've got to know Dominic, like how do they play? What do they want? What kind of ball do they want? What kind of run I can make for them? This takes time.

"I think the break will help because we have a chance to have a few days off for everyone to go home and see family and then we'll be back training. We will have two or three weeks for proper training before Boxing Day [when Everton play Wolverhampton Wanderers] and I think these three weeks will be really important for us, and for me, to put in the work and be ready for the second half of the season.”