David Unsworth has praised Wayne Rooney's hat-trick and display as Everton romped to a 4-0 win over West Ham United on Wednesday night.
The Toffees had been left reeling from heavy defeats against Atalanta BC and Southampton but took apart David Moyes's new side at Goodison Park.
Rooney was the star on the night as he notched up an impressive treble, capped off with a goal inside his own half, with Ashley Williams adding a fourth late on.
"It's a great night, not for me but for the club. Every player was committed," Unsworth told BBC Sport. "I asked them to be men tonight. If you can stand up there and fight in times of trouble, that says a lot.
"Great hat-trick, great display from Wayne. He was captain for a reason. I'm delighted for the club. I took over when we were in the bottom three and we've got out of it in the six weeks.
"We expect more. The players have shown tonight that when they are confident, we can keep clean sheets and score goals. Goodison must be a fortress for the rest of the season if we are to finish in the top half.
The result sees Everton, who will soon be managed by Sam Allardyce, climb to 13th in the Premier League table.
Giuseppe Labellarte
