Everton hero Wayne Rooney believes his old club can finish in the top four.

The Derby player-coach wrote for The Times: “The top four is doable.

“It will be difficult because there are seven or eight teams competing for those spots and some big clubs will have to miss out but top four has to be the target, given Everton's start. If they can get to January still in the frame and let Ancelotti bring in another couple of players, they will have a great chance.

"Their biggest issue is squad depth. In Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bernard they have a couple of players who can come off the bench to provide something different but they need one or two more; players who don't have to be world-beaters but who can slot straight into the team without a major drop in quality if there are injuries. They need a real back up for Allan and another striking option for games where the opposition is equipped to deal with Calvert-Lewin's threat.

“But, as we saw against Liverpool, this is an Everton that can handle challenges."