"It’s been slow getting back to full fitness but I think I’m getting there now. I’ve been able to show a bit more in training.

"I think I just need a bit more time on the pitch, and when I get that, I think I can start kicking on a bit more. I’m fully fit now, so I will train as hard as I can and see what happens."

The smart money would be on a home victory today. Everton have won more matches (14), scored more goals (48) and gained more points (49) against West Ham than any other club in the Premier League.

Everton need a victory to keep the pressure on Aston Villa in the race for fifth place, with the Midlanders still one point ahead with only two games remaining.

And Vaughan adds: "I’m quite confident to be honest. It’s not in our own hands, though I think we’ve got a chance of winning both of our remaining games, but that’s all we can do really and hope that they (Aston Villa) drop some points.

"It’s good that the West Ham game is here at Goodison. The fans will be brilliant as always and they’ll be cheering us on to help us get as many points as we can before the end of the season.

"I think it’s pretty much ‘do what we’ve got to do’ this weekend and next, then we will turn our minds to the FA Cup final. Obviously it’s a big game and it’s in everyone’s minds, but at the moment we need to concentrate on the Premier League."