Joe Allen has talked up the importance of the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton on Wednesday night.

The local rivalry between Liverpool and Everton was rescheduled just ahead of the FA Cup semi-finals and many feel that the clash on Wednesday night will not viewed with much importance by the Toffees as they have to square off against Manchester United at Wembley just three days later.

However, Reds midfielder Allen disagrees with this notion and has gone on to state that Liverpool will be giving the contest as much importance as any other derby.

The Welshman told the Liverpool Echo: "With the game being rearranged, the derby has sort of snuck up on both clubs. That's no bad thing in some ways.

"Our focus has been on getting results in other games. We've had some exciting fixtures in recent weeks and now Everton is the next one to look forward to.

"No matter where the clubs are in the table, there is always a lot riding on this game. This is the fixture that every supporter and player of both clubs looks for the second the fixtures come out. It's that type of game. It means so much to the people of the city and to everyone involved.

"Trust me, the lads here know what this means and we want to do everything we possibly can to get a win over our biggest rivals."