He said: “I think it’s good. I like the competition, it’s a positive thing.

“The team can’t survive with 11 players alone. Most squads have, like we have now, three or four who are vying for those two positions or one position up front.

“If you want to get

anywhere and have a quality side you must have that choice.”

If Jo features at Goodison Park on Sunday it will be his first Merseyside derby but he has already played for teams with big city rivalries both in his native Brazil with Corinthians from his home town of Sao Paulo and in Russia with CSKA Moscow.

He said: “I knew all about the rivalry when I came here.

“Obviously you chat and hear things about it but I’m well aware that it’s a massive, massive, derby game.

“My aim is to feature and be involved in some way.”

Jo added: “Palmeiras versus Corinthians was the big game for me in Brazil.

“I’m not saying that this isn’t a massive game, I’ve emphasised that already but over there is probably even more tension and more surrounding the whole occasion.

“From that point of view I believe it has prepared me well for this game.

“I’ve got good experience from those matches that can help me with the intensity of the Merseyside derby.

“Wherever you go in the world, if you’ve got two or more teams in a city there’s always going to be a good rivalry.”