Andy van der Meyde is hoping for a third successive appearance against Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Dutchman claimed he was ‘as happy as a kid’ to be given late run-outs against Liverpool and Bolton, and hopes that his chances continue in the FA Cup against Martin O’Neill’s side.
"It's been good”, van der Meyde told evertonTV. “I've really enjoyed playing. It's been a long time since I've had a run of games so I liked it. I feel happy and feel like a kid because I missed football so long. I was not involved sometimes and sometimes I was injured but now I'm getting more time to get on the pitch and that's the best feeling you can get as a player.”
van der Meyde’s only other appearance this season came in December in the league game against Villa.
"They're going to be tough opponents,” he explained. “We know they're a good team because of what happened before. But Everton at home are a very hard team to beat and I think we're confident enough and strong enough to beat them.
"I always hope that I play but I just have to see what happens. I have to train hard and wait for my chance and see if I can deliver some more crosses!
"I thought we played very well against Bolton. We were not in trouble. Everton are strong at home anyway and we have good confidence. We're playing very well, I think.
The Dutchman was humble when asked about his assist for Dan Gosling’s memorable Merseyside derby goal in the previous round of the FA Cup. He admitted that the reality of the momentous occasion didn't hit home until he left the pitch.
"At that moment I didn't think a lot,” he recalled. “It was actually afterwards when I came home that I realised that it was that important. Of course, we had the win, I know that, but I was not thinking about the cross, I was just happy that we scored. Then afterwards I got all the texts, off my friends and family and then I started thinking 'oh yeah, the cross came from me'. But that's what I'm good at and that's what people expect of me.
"We were all happy that we beat Liverpool at home and we were further in the cup. The manager said ‘thanks’, but we did it all together. He said I played well and I've had a little bit longer [against Bolton] - I came in for 15 minutes - so that was good and I can show a little bit more than if I had less time to play."
