Since relegation from the Premier League last season, Bolton sacked manager Owen Coyle with Dougie Freedman having switched from Crystal Palace to take over the hot seat.

The Trotters have struggled to acclimatise to life in the second tier and stand only five points clear of the drop zone. They have won only three of their last 14 league matches but claimed the notable scalp of Sunderland in the last round of the FA Cup, winning 2-0 at the Stadium of Light after an initial 2-2 draw.

While Everton have made several league visits to the Reebok, it’ll be their first in the FA Cup, with the club meeting in the competition for the first time since Bolton beat the Goodison outfit in January 1994.

Boyhood Blue and future Everton player and coach Alan Stubbs was among the Trotters side that day. Having drawn the first game 1-1 at Burnden Park, they came from two goals down to win 3-2 in the replay.

Stubbs scored the equaliser that forced an extra-time period in which future boss Coyle netted the winner.

“It’s something that I will always remember, but something that my friends and family weren’t happy about,” Stubbs says .

“I didn’t know what to do on that night.

“I didn’t know whether to celebrate or take the wrath of my friends and family who were at the game. We were a young team at the time and had a bit of history of causing upsets in the cup.

“It was a bit of a surreal moment for me.

“Obviously I was happy that we had won but I didn’t want it to be against Everton.

“There were mixed feelings but it was great from my point of view to play at Goodison, especially as I didn’t know what was going to happen in the future.”

Of Saturday’s tie, Stubbs adds: “It will be a tough game for us but we’ll go there and fancy our chances of getting a result.

“I think Bolton’s league position and performances have probably been inconsistent. They found it hard to get a run of results when Owen was in charge and it was difficult for them.

“They have decided to have a change of direction with a new manager and ever since he has come in it has still been up and down. He’s probably trying to change personnel, the way the team play and the ethics of the team.

“It still a bit of a transitional period for them, so we’ll go there and hope to capitalise on that. It won’t be easy – it never is going to Bolton – but we have got to be confident of getting a result there.”

With Mirallas back up and running, such belief can only increase.