Major shareholder Farhad Moshiri has warned fans it will take time to re-establish Everton among English football's elite. The Iranian billionaire acquired a 49.9 per cent stake of the Merseyside club in February 2016 and has seen summer appointment Ronald Koeman guide the Toffees to seventh at the halfway stage of the Premier League campaign. Everton look set to improve on last season's 11th-place finish but, speaking at the club's general meeting, Moshiri outlined his ambitions. "It is not enough to say 'we are special'," he said. "We don't want to be a museum. We need to be competitive and we need to win.

"The gold standard is the Premier League. The league is where our competitive edge will be measured. "We have a window to establish ourselves and we will do everything we can. "Bill (Kenwright) over the last 20 years, through his sheer dedication, has kept the club close to the elite. "Now we need to look at sustainability to be amongst the elite. It takes time, but we are committed. That is why we are here."

Chairman Kenwright spoke of his desire to deliver a first trophy since 1995 to the Everton supporters. "I'm so emotional when it comes to Everton," said Kenwright. "It is great what we do but we've got to bring some silverware. That's what I'm sure Farhad, Ronald and Steve (Walsh) are going for. "This is a very, very special moment at a very, very special club." Meanwhile, Koeman confirmed the fans' worst fears about winger Yannick Bolasie, who suffered a serious knee ligament injury in December. Quoted by the club's Twitter account, the Everton boss said: "It will be around 11 to 12 months before he is back. "That is a big disappointment but he will come back.