West Ham teenager James Tomkins praised central defensive partner Anton Ferdinand for steering him through his first-team debut at Everton.Tomkins was at fault for Everton's opening goal when he was caught out by the power and pace of Toffees striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu but he recovered to put in an impressive performance.

The 18-year-old said: "Anton was talking to me every few seconds and it helped me a lot. He was great to play alongside."

With Matthew Upson still struggling with a calf injury, Tomkins could retain his place in the side for the trip to Sunderland on Saturday - his 19th birthday.

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