The England defender was bored on the sidelines with ankle injury that still isn't properly healed yet - and he's eyeing Champions League slot

Phil Jagielka is ready to keep playing through the pain barrier for Everton because he got bored on the sidelines.

Jagielka needed a pain-killing injection in his ankle to make his return for the Blues in Saturday's win over Stoke and says it was great to be back.

The gash he suffered to his ankle in a challenge from Reading's Adam Le Fondre last month has still to heal fully and he admits it is still painful.

But the England centre-half is prepared to put up with the discomfort to help Everton's Champions League push.

"I've been able to do most things other than kick a ball," he said. "It's not quite healed up yet, but it will get there and I can play without any problems.

"I've got to have an injection to take a bit of the pain away because there's still a bit of scar tissue but it's part and parcel of being a footballer.

"I've been desperate to get back training and playing with the lads. It's a boring time being on your own, especially being injured.

"I've been there before and so it's been nice to get back amongst it this week, even more so to play."

Jagielka claims David Moyes' players were fired up to beat Stoke in the evening kick-off after hearing that Chelsea had lost at Southampton.

"With it being a late kick-off, we knew how the other results had gone," he said. "To keep in touch with them, we needed a win."