Sam Allardyce backs Wayne Rooney to step up in Merseyside derby

Everton manager Sam Allardyce has backed Wayne Rooney to play a pivotal role in Sunday's Merseyside derby at Anfield.

Rooney will experience his first taste of the Merseyside derby since January 2004 when Everton make the short trip across Stanley Park this weekend looking to string together a fourth consecutive win across all competitions.

The 32-year-old has plenty of experience playing at Anfield with Manchester United, though, and Allardyce is hoping that the former England captain can use that to inspire his side to a famous victory.

"Derbies are about your big players delivering big performances and no one will be more fired up for this game than Wayne Rooney," he wrote in his column for ESPN.

"As a passionate Evertonian, Wayne is desperate to do well, and since he has seen and done it all in a wonderful career, we hope he can use all that experience to deliver the kind of performance he gave against West Ham, when he scored a hat trick in our 4-0 win."

Everton have failed to win any of their last 14 meetings with Liverpool, while they are winless at Anfield since 1999.