Nigel Martyn: It's all systems go on Everton FC'd bid to reach Europe again

But even after selling Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey, Wigan have managed to keep on getting results and they will arrive at Goodison Park on Sunday hoping to get the result that will take them another step closer to realising their dreams . It is imperative, then, that there is no slip ups on our behalf.

Even though a Champions League place looks a bridge too far this season, I still feel we can overhaul Aston Villa and, with a bit of luck, we will reduce the deficit on them this weekend.

Villa, of course, are going to Old Trafford on the same afternoon we host Wigan and who knows? By the end of play on Easter Sunday, the Blues could actually have leapfrogged Martin O'Neill's men. That has to be the aim - there would be nothing worse than having the season just peter out.

You can almost set the tone for next year in the closing weeks and just say we get to the FA Cup Final, as well as finishing fifth, the lads will go into their summer break brimming with confidence.

That might not be the case if we ended up losing against Manchester United and then finished seventh - it would definitely leave everyone feeling flat after such impressive hard work.

So that is why we must set the tone and take maximum points off Wigan; the disappointment of what happened at Portsmouth will be forgotten about with a resounding display and it will be all systems go for the final push.

Time my gloves are stayed off for good

AN EVERTON great pulled on his gloves for the first time in a few years at the weekend - and I was at the other end of the pitch to see it.

Neville Southall played in a celebrity side against a Mark Bright Crystal Palace XI at Selhurst Park that also saw yours truly make an appearance.

I only intended to play for five minutes but ended up staying on for nearer 15, as the bench thought it was great fun to stitch me up.

I'd like to say that it gave me the appetite to start again but the truth is that my ankle is so bad now, I couldn't do it.

Mind you, I did pluck one cross from the air to show that you don't lose it - then again, some may suggest I never had it to lose!

Losing it is not something you could apply to Big Nev; it was a privilege to have been one of his successors at Everton and he, like me, is thrilled with how things are going at Goodison Park.

David Beckham deserves his England caps record

WHILE Wayne Rooney's performance against Slovakia had the nation raving, the weekend belonged to one man.

David Beckham made his 109th appearance for England and proved yet again he fully deserves to be in the squad.

He has come a long way from the shy, nervous boy who joined up with the squad I was in all those years ago.

It was amazing to watch him develop and become more and more confident and it's no surprise he has gone on to achieve so much.

People think he is being picked on reputation, but that doesn't wash and I know from experience how much he put into practising his set pieces.

After training had finished, Becks would regularly ask me to stay in goal so he could hone his free-kick skills and he didn't tend to give you a chance of making saves.

I don't for one minute begrudge him his success and he must have a great chance of setting the all time caps record.