TIM HOWARD drew level on Everton’s all-time clean sheet chart with the legendary Ted Sagar at Swansea on Saturday.
But the Blues keeper immediately gave the credit to his in-form central defenders John Stones and Phil Jagielka, and explained that the trio push each other on to produce even more.
The veteran Jagielka and his young apprentice Stones were exceptional at the Liberty Stadium and while Howard claimed a 112th league shut-out for the Blues - only Gordon West and Neville Southall now have more - he said: “The two boys in front of me should take a lot of the credit, if not all of it, they are immense.
Everton league Clean Sheets
Neville Southall 197
Gordon West 124
Ted Sagar 112
Tim Howard 112
“I push them to the limit, I don’t let them off the hook on anything and vice versa and that is why we have a good relationship.
“Believe me John is a guy who did not need any more confidence. He is full of it. He is exceptional.
“We have started the season pretty well defensively. Defending is one of those things that has a rhythm to it. If you defend well you feel good about yourself and you carry it with you going week to week.
“Right now things are going well, I don’t question why they are or are not, we just go with it, train hard and keep trying to get things right.”
The Blues have now kept clean sheets in each of their last three away matches in the Premier League - tricky trips to Southampton, Spurs and Swansesa - and on Saturday shut out the Swans with Tyias Browning making his full debut and Brendan Galloway in only his seventh start.
Howard added: “I was so proud of those guys, if there was any game you did not want to come in to at right-back it was this. Montero has been abusing right backs this season and it was always going to be tough, but Tyias did fantastically well in the circumstances. “He had a good game, he kept Montero at bay, which is not easy. They are both young, but they are humble, grounded and will keep working.”