EVERTON kick-off on the long haul to a successful Premier League season tomorrow, with a marathon trip Down Under.

In previous seasons David Moyes’ men have kicked-off their pre-season preparations with low-key local match-ups against Bury, Port Vale and Rochdale – or short hops into Europe to play little known club sides like Sion and FC Gamlitz.

Tomorrow, however, (10.30am GMT) Everton face the reigning Hyundai A-League champions, Sydney FC, 10,500 miles away Down Under.

The official published attendance for that Gamlitz game in 2005 was just 283.

The capacity of the ANZ Stadium where tomorrow’s match is staged is 83,500, in a match which will be televised live across Asia

It’s a break from previous tradition – and one David Moyes has given a cautious thumbs up to.

“Normally I would train the boys a lot longer before we start but this has been pushed in a bit quicker so we’re doing what we can to be ready for the games,” he said.

“I’m not sure what condition or form we’ll be in but the key for us is to use these games to get ready for the Premier League.

“When people come to see you they want to see you hit the ground running.

“But you must remember that we only started training a week last Thursday.”

At least Everton will have some conditioning behind them.

Sydney will have 38-year-old former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke guesting for them, and he joked this week: “Sydney are in pre-season, too, so both teams will be pretty fit, maybe except for me!”

Yorke’s has been invited to play by virtue of his year spent with Sydney in 2005/06.

“It is always exciting to play a Premier League team, especially when you have retired from the game and it will be good to catch up with one or two old faces as well,” he explained.

“I have managed to do alright against Everton over the years, to be honest.

“My record is not so bad. It is a team that I respect and who I played against regularly in the Premier League.

“We all know they are one of the most established teams in the league and in British football – their history goes all the way back, so it is nice to have one more opportunity to have a game against them.

“David Moyes is the third longest serving manager in the league and it’s not easy to keep your job these days – but he hasn’t just done that, he has done a fantastic job in terms of bringing Everton along.

“What he is doing there and the players he has recruited show he is highly respected by managers and players throughout the game. He deserves all the credit he gets.”

One of those players Moyes has recruited is Yorke’s old Manchester United team-mate. Phil Neville, and Yorke added: “It doesn’t surprise me at all to hear how popular Phil Neville is at the club.