Everton manager Willie Kirk has praised the club’s ‘evolution’ over the past two years after they booked their place in the FA Cup final.

The Toffees breezed past Birmingham City 3-0 at the SportNation.bet Stadium to set up a Wembley Stadium showdown with either Manchester City or Arsenal on November 1.

The run to the final comes just 20 months after Kirk took the job as head coach in December 2018 when Everton were winless at the bottom of the Women’s Super League table.

Since then, the ex-Manchester United assistant manager has guided the side to as high as sixth in the top flight and now also a major final.

"We’re looking forward to the final," he told the club website. "It is a big thing for the club because we haven’t been to Wembley yet, despite previously winning the FA Cup and being in a couple of finals.

"It’s where we want to get back to so we’re pleased to get there.

"My time at Everton has been an evolution. When I first joined we had to try to stay up, and then build a squad and a team that people wanted to join.

"We’ve had to recruit properly because we’ve had a lot of top players in the past - and we needed to get that calibre of player back through the door."

As well as the cup final, Everton are hoping to break into the top three in the WSL this season, a trio which has consisted of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea for the last six successive campaigns.

And they have shown ambition in the transfer market by signing the likes of Montpellier goalscorer Valerie Gauvin, who won the World Cup with France last summer.

Next up for Kirk’s side is a trip to newly-promoted Aston Villa in the WSL on Saturday as the Toffees look to make it three wins from three league games.