LESCOTT LOOKS BEYOND AWARDS

Lescott - wants to seal fifth-placed finish.

Everton's double award winner Joleon Lescott believes his trophies will mean nothing if the club do not claim fifth place and a UEFA Cup qualification spot.

Lescott picked up the fans' player of the year and the players' player of the year trophies last night at a glittering club awards dinner at Liverpool's St George's Hall.

But Everton still have unfinished business on Sunday when they face Newcastle at Goodison Park in their final Premier League game of the campaign.

And the Toffees - whose scrappy 1-0 win over Derby is their only victory in eight games - still need one more point to be sure of fifth and UEFA Cup competition next term.

If Everton lose on Sunday and Aston Villa win at West Ham, the UEFA Cup prize will be snatched from them and they will have to be content with a place in the Intertoto Cup.

So Lescott, 25, understandably still has other things on his mind before celebrating his double triumph.

He said: "It is a great honour to win these awards, and we have achieved a lot this season. But it means nothing if we do not finish fifth and get back into Europe."

Everton have had an impressive 10-game UEFA Cup run this term, ending unluckily on penalties in the last 16 against Fiorentina, and they desperately want to qualify for the tournament again.

Lescott said: "We have been in the Carling Cup semi-final and had a great run in Europe. But it is not over yet, this weekend means everything and we still have so much to play for in the final match.

"You can be sure we will be pushing hard right to the end to get the one more point we feel we deserve to be sure of fifth.

"And we all feel that we still owe something to the fans. Everybody looks back at the season and sees that we could have had the odd point here or there that wasn't claimed.

"So we all feel that although we have achieved a lot this season, we still have a long way to go to make it a real success."

On his awards success, Lescott said: "It is great to get both awards, a tremendous honour. Particularly because people have been comparing this team to the Everton team of the 80s who won so much.

"I wouldn't say either award is better than the other, but as a professional to get the 'players' player' one is a special one because that is voted by your colleagues.

Teenage striker Victor Anichebe was named young player of the year while also winning the shareholders' young player of the season trophy.

Former England goalkeeper Gordon West was inducted into the Everton Giants, while Jack Rodwell was voted the academy player of the year.

Lescott, who also made his England debut this season, pointedly made it clear he wants to be playing in his natural position of centre-back soon, having filled in for much of the campaign at left-back.

He said: "I would prefer to play centre-half to be honest, I made my debut for England at centre-half and hopefully I can continue there for Everton.

"I have spoke to the boss a few times (about it) but this season it has been more about the team so hopefully next season we can sort that out, I want to play centre-half, he knows that.

"And he sees me as a centre-half but says it is more important for me to play at left-back for the team so I am more than willing to do that."

Everton chief executive Keith Wyness has dismissed any suggestion that manager David Moyes will not sign a new contract.

Moyes has led Everton to their best Premier League campaign, but his contract runs out at the end of next season.

And the fact that a new deal has still not been brokered has led to suggestions that the Toffees would lose the Scot.

But Wyness said: "(Owner) Bill (Kenwright) and David have been deep in talks for some months.

"Those talks are going fine, there is absolutely no problem there at all."

Kenwright was absent from Wednesday night's event due to the birth earlier in the day of his first grandchild.