The Toffees travel to face Middlesbrough tomorrow looking to improve on their current position of seventh place in the Barclays Premier League.

Despite modest investment in the team by the standards of the top flight, Everton have been regulars in the upper echelons of the division since Moyes took charge in 2002.

And Kenwright believes few managers could have achieved what the Scot has since arriving at Goodison Park.

"I said five years ago that I felt that our man would one day become one of the very great managers in football. For me he has already achieved this," Kenwright said.

"He devotes every waking hour to this football club - and I'm truly proud and grateful to have him as my friend and our manager."

In typically dedicated style, Moyes will have little time for festivities over the Christmas period.

"We work Christmas day. If you've been a footballer, you understand that this is a time when you work," Moyes said.

"I think if you were paid as much as the players are, then you would be quite happy to work over Christmas.

"Everyone is entitled to enjoy Christmas and so they should, but in the same breath you're paid to do your job and footballers are paid to work over Christmas - there's doctors nurses and policemen that work, so we're no different."

Moyes has, meanwhile, praised the resilience of his injury-hit Everton squad as his striker crisis continues.

Ayegbeni Yakubu is out for the season with an Achilles problem while James Vaughan has just had knee surgery which is expected to see him sidelined for around four months.

Moyes' misery is further compounded by Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe who are both struggling with respective hamstring and back problems, meaning Everton are likely to face Middlesbrough on Boxing Day and Sunderland 48 hours later without a natural frontman.

However, rather than dwell on the negatives, Moyes was more eager to praise makeshift centre-forward Tim Cahill and £15million summer signing Marouane Fellaini who have both been employed in more advanced roles in recent matches.

He said: "The striker situation is a big worry for us, we still have real doubts about whether Victor or Louis will be available for any of the Christmas games.

"Obviously we are asking a lot of people to do extra jobs and play out of position but they have done that very well.

"They know the circumstances and in a way it makes you stronger because they are working ever so hard for each other.

"Sometimes when needs must then you have to stick together but we are also aware that we can't afford many more injuries or then we really will be short."

Regardless of their injury woes, Everton can be comforted by the fact that they have lost on only one of their last five visits to the Riverside.

And with Gareth Southgate's team without a win in their last four matches at home, Moyes is hoping Everton can take something from the game.

He added: "We are looking forward to it and trying to keep our current good run and performances going at this time.

"I think Gareth has a young team and he is trying to mould his team.

"He is having to cut his cloth accordingly, the days when they were signing the big stars has possibly gone for them.

"But they have always had a good academy and they have brought through their own players and Gareth has taken on that and done a good job."