And speaking to evertonTV, he explained: “I landed and tried to take off and I just felt three or four different feelings in my knee.

“I just thought “Wow, I’ve never felt that before”. I’ve been tackled and felt pain before, but it wasn’t the pain that was hard to take, it was knowing that I had done something serious and I obviously didn’t know what it was.

“When I got back to the changing room I described the feeling to head of physio (Mick Rathbone) and he was certain I had done my cruciate.

“I think it’s the way most of the injuries like that are done these days. The last thing I want to be doing is blaming someone for a mistimed tackle. So if there is a good way to get injured then it’s from a freak accident and I have no-one to blame.

“It’s going to be a long time out, so there’s two ways of dealing with it, either be grumpy for the next six months or I could try and get on with it with as much light heartedness as possible.

“I’ve got great people around me now though. The staff, manager and players have all wished me a speedy recovery and I look forward to returning next season.”

Jagielka has been Everton’s outstanding performer of the campaign and, after an unsteady start following a £4million move from Sheffield United in the summer of 2007, has blossomed into a first-team regular and England international.

And the centre-back has vowed to return as strong as ever from his untimely setback, the latest in a long line of injuries to hamper David Moyes’s side this season.

“It’s been a whirlwind last 18 months and I would have loved to finish it off with a final, but as it is I finished it off with an injury,” said Jagielka.

“But the fans’ praise means the world to me and hopefully when I’ve got the operation done, I’ll be as good and as strong as I was before. I’m not sure how I’ll feel putting a suit on going to watch the boys while on crutches.

“It won’t be a nice feeling but I’ve played a decent part in getting us to the final and hopefully the boys can get us over the finishing line.

“We’ve got a fantastic squad – it’s not the biggest but we have got some fantastic players and I know I’ll be there to see us lift the Cup.”