Jubilant David Moyes revealed his driving ambition to be a ''great Everton leader'' in the wake of the club's elevation to the UEFA Cup elite.
Boss Moyes was talking just hours after bringing his squad back from Kharkiv in the Ukraine, where Everton had achieved a remarkable 3-2 second-leg win in their UEFA Cup qualifying tie, 4-3 on aggregate.
Having seen his team lose out in the Champions League and UEFA Cups two years ago, Moyes clearly cherished the moment.
He now attempts to revive tired bodies and minds in time for tomorrow's Barclays Premier League trip to Newcastle, but with the knowledge that Everton will be in Tuesday's group stages draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
Moyes said: ''There is nobody with bigger expectations for this club than me, and yes, they have been raised over recent years which means there is some pride and relief that we have finally made this next step up to European level.
''The supporters, too, have those expectations and it is up to us to meet them. But I expect David Moyes to be managing teams in Europe, I expect to have winning teams and good footballing teams.
''That is my job. If you want to be a great leader then you have to have big expectations and I want to be a great leader of a great football club.''
He added: ''We have been trying to bring it back to a high level. It is more than six years or so without any real success here.
''We are just trying to get this club back on a proper footing for a club of this size. I believe there will be a bigger and better Everton in the future, this is only the start.
''We got very close to it two years ago. We are a big club and not in Europe. In perspective we have only got through the qualifier, we have not won anything.
''We have not done anything. But this is the beginning of where we want to go. Blackburn, Bolton, Middlesbrough have all been in Europe and reached cup finals. We have had to get over this first hurdle. We have not managed that in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and our own cups. We have had three top-seven finishes in five years, so this is the next step.
''My relief was probably because of how the supporters felt after we lost in Bucharest, it hurt them and it hurt me."
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