Tim Howard has insisted that he never feared relegation during Everton's struggles this season.

Three wins in their last four games have moved the Toffees clear of danger following a disappointing run either side of Christmas, and Howard believes that they should not be ruling out the possibility of a top-10 finish.

"I never felt that way. I tried to remind the other players that it was a bunch of garbage," the 36-year-old told reporters. "For us that was never realistic.

"There's a few teams above us and we need them to drop points and we need to keep going. We feel like we can do it."

Everton, who currently occupy 10th spot in the table, host Burnley on Saturday afternoon.