Wayne Rooney dedicated the 4-0 win over West Ham to caretaker boss David Unsworth as incoming manager Sam Allardyce watched on from the stands.
Rooney scored a hat-trick at Goodison Park, including a stunning strike from inside his own half, to help secure just a second win in 13 outings in all competitions.
Rooney: “First of all we’ve got to give thanks to David Unsworth, he’s stepped in at a difficult time for the football club, he’s a true Everton person.
“I’m delighted for him we’ve got this victory because it’s an important win for the club but also for David Unsworth.”
Everton are now up to 13th while West Ham remain in the drop zone, two points adrift of safety.
On Allardyce, Rooney added: “Of course he’ll be pleased, but for us as a team, as a club, it was important for us to show some pride. As David Unsworth said, we’ve been hurting.
“It was important we got a clean sheet first of all, it has been long overdue, but (also) a victory to try and steady the last few weeks we’ve been going through.”