Relegation warning sounded by Allan as Everton striker advised to leave club

As the Blues prepare to face Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Anfield, here's your Everton morning headlines for Sunday, April 24.

With the potential to be in the drop zone by the time today’s Merseyside Derby kicks off, Allan is well aware of the seriousness of the threat to Everton’s Premier League status but he is determined to ensure this season of strife serves as a harsh warning to the club that they never find themselves in such a position again. In the season before the Brazilian arrived at Goodison Park he was playing Champions League football for Napoli and the coach he served there and who brought him to these shores, Carlo Ancelotti, returned to such rarefied circles this term at Real Madrid.

Given his own pedigree in the game as one of the many international players within the Blues squad, Allan is asked whether there is any dent to his pride at being embroiled in a relegation battle with what is – on paper at least – such a gifted squad. He said: “It does hurt, no doubt. It hurts when I see where we are in the table, especially when the club has such great fans and a plan for the future that is so good.

“But maybe this can be a valuable lesson that we can take forward to build a better future by rectifying the errors we have made this season. We have to ensure we get on the right path so that we are never again in this position.”

Allan added: “We know this is a difficult moment. I can only speak for myself, and the situation is always on my mind. I look at the other results, look at the table, who we have got to play and I am apprehensive. But this is a time to fight even harder, to stick together and work well. This comes through dedication and team spirit.

“It’s my hope that we don’t have to be in