Royston Drenthe has played down rumours that his lack of recent first-team appearances was down to a bust-up with boss David Moyes.
Dutchman insists he has not falllen out with Everton boss.
Royston Drenthe has played down rumours that his lack of recent first-team appearances was down to a bust-up with boss David Moyes.
The Dutch midfielder joined on a season-long loan from Real Madrid in the summer after finding himself on the fringes of the first team.
Drenthe, once regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in Europe while at Feyenoord, had to wait almost a month before making his debut.
And after some sparkling displays for Everton the fiery midfielder had not featured for almost a month fuelling rumours he had fallen out with the boss, but Drenthe quickly dismissed that.
"It was really frustrating that I was injured for three weeks," he said. "I couldn't train because it would have made it worse, but to play again and be important for the team gives me a good feeling.
"Everyone knows my quality and I have to play to my qualities, I don't do things I can't do so I do the things I know I can do to be important for the team.
"The moment I came in the gaffer told me 'Try to do whatever you can and when you get the ball go direct and use your quality'.
"I have a responsibility because I know my quality and if I have to go home with the feeling I haven't done what I could do, it is always a bad feeling.
"I like to go home with a good feeling that I can look my team-mates in the eyes. But when you can't play a good game then you have to work hard for the team and that is important.
"You can never play every game on your best but you can always work hard. I want to be really important and I want to get Everton high in the table. I think we can get into the first seven or eight. If we start winning three or four games then maybe we can get European football."
