Rio Ferdinand has revealed that he messaged Frank Lampard the night before Everton's morale-boosting 1-0 victory against Manchester United on Saturday.
And the former United defender explained how he feels harnessing the power of Goodison Park is crucial to ensuring that the Blues' top flight status remains intact come the end of the season.
A solitary goal from Anthony Gordon proved enough to give the Toffees all three points amid a white hot atmosphere and television pundit Ferdinand insists replicating such hostilities can keep his friend Lampard's side in the Premier League.
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Speaking on BT Sport, he said: " I text him last night and we were talking about how hard it was as players to come here and the atmosphere generated by the team. That’s what he’s been searching for and that’s what he got. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t sexy football and that’s probably not how Frank Lampard sees his teams playing in the long-term. Getting through a game like this with the grit, determination and desire, the fans feeding off that. Just being in an older stadium with the history it’s got and what can be generated here, I know they’ve got a new stadium coming, but this place is a hard place to play.
"They’ve got eight games left after this, they need to make this place a fortress. I don’t care who you are or how many big games you’ve played in your career, this is hard, hard football and they make it ugly, they compete. Scruffy goal, three points, huge, huge value."
Everton's victory reinstated their four point advantage over relegation rivals Burnley, who visit basement club Norwich City tomorrow afternoon. A 3-0 defeat for Watford against Leeds United on Saturday will have also been welcomed on the Blue half of Merseyside.
But despite an increasingly rare good day for Everton, Ferdinand insists that it will all count for nothing if Lampard's players do not build on their victory without following it up with more positive results.
He added: " They need to use this result now. They can’t have this result and drop off in the next game. The concentration, determination and desire all has to be the same, taking care of little details in the game, being that unit that’s hard to play against. When you’re down there in the relegation fight, you’ve gotta get your goal and be resolute to play against. They showed really good positive signs today, but they need to use it to build momentum.
"Frank doesn’t have to say much, just take that feeling in when that whistle went at full-time, most players dropped to their knees, that feeling is enough to get you through, they could play tomorrow on the strength of that feeling!"
