Everton defender Conor Coady has lavished praise on teammate James Tarkowski.

The duo have formed a solid defensive pairing for the Toffees this term, especially under Sean Dyche.

While Coady, who is on loan from Wolves, knows they are not even close to being safe from relegation, he is relishing every time he gets to play alongside his friend Tarkowski.

"I love him," Coady stated in the official match program for this weekend's Aston Villa game.

"He's class... One of my best mates.

"I knew about Tarky before I came to the club — I've played against him loads of times before and I knew how much of a top player he is.

"I've had good battles against him in the past but now coming in and experiencing him every single day — the sort of character he is, the sort of friend he is, the sort of player he is… He's huge for us. He's a big part of the dressing room and I've grown close to him over the months we've been here. I think he's brilliant in terms of what he brings and how he holds himself."