Neil Mellor relishes battle with old Mersey rivals Everton

In fact, the 25-year-old striker - who was involved in an early scuffle with Tony Hibbert in the corresponding fixture this time last year - expects Irvine to take the opposite approach.

"The gaffer, being a former Evertonian, might try to calm me down a bit before the game," admitted Mellor.

"He might have a quiet word with me. Maybe last year was a case of a bit of the old Liverpool sprit in me.

"But so far nothing has been said about the game, we've just been training hard as usual and working hard for Tuesday night."

Any attempts to calm Mellor down, however, could fall on deaf ears.

He is buzzing in this current build-up to the new season, with five goals in the three friendlies Preston have played so far.

And the prospect of adding to that tally against his former Merseyside rivals is one that he finds difficult to suppress his appetite for.

"I'll get a bit of stick from the Everton fans," said Mellor, last year's events still clearly in the mind.

"It's good honest banter but if I feature in the game in any way I will want to out the ball in the back of the net.

"I enjoyed playing against them last year, they brought a lot of fans and no doubt they will bring a lot of fans again.

"So I will be fired up to play against them if selected."

While an goal is good for a forward's confidence head of the new campaign, Mellor knows that a hat-trick in an 11-0 win over Austrians FC Erdal Hallein 04 followed by strikes against Chorley and Morecambe hardly gives him a realistic feel the challenges of the new Championship season.

Finding the net against Everton, however depleted Moyes's current crop might be, will be a very different story, however.

"They were the best side outside of the top four last season," added Mellor.

"So we know they will be tough opponents. We know that Moyesey was here and he will want to out a good show on. It will be a good game to watch.

"It's our only home friendly of the summer and it will be nice to show the fans how we have progressed since the end of last season.

"But the most important result is that one at Ipswich on the opening day of the season.

"I don't care if we lose every friendly as long as we are fired up for the game at Ipswich and win it."