DINIYAR Bilyaletdinov has admitted his hurt at being left out of Everton’s first team this season, but says he is ready to seize his chance to impress manager David Moyes.

The Russian midfielder has found opportunities limited at Goodison Park so far this season, making just three Premier League starts, as Moyes has opted to use him sparingly as a substitute. Indeed, the 25-year-old has already appeared no fewer than 16 times from the bench, more than any other player at the club.

But having seen Steven Pienaar – the Blues’ main left-sided choice during the first half of the campaign – depart for Tottenham earlier this month, Bilyaletdinov believes he may now get the chance to show his true worth to the side.

His latest outing, the 2-2 draw at home to West Ham last Saturday, saw him find the net with a smartly-taken strike, and the former Lokomotiv Moscow man is keen to build on that.

“With the exit of Pienaar I will have more chances and I am going to take a tight grip on them,” he said.

“But at the same time I do not want that my return to the squad is connected only with the other man’s exit.”