McLeish claims credit for equaliser

McLeish brought on the on-loan Argentinian striker with 13 minutes remaining after Joleon Lescott's ninth goal of the campaign put the Toffees ahead and within six minutes he took a free-kick on the edge of the Everton box and drilled an unstoppable effort past Tim Howard.

Blues are now two points ahead of third from bottom Bolton, and McLeish said: "That goal and point could turn out to be very important. I think I'll claim an assist for that - a super decision putting him on!"

He added: "It was a cruel blow to go behind. The second half performance was exceptional. We went up a gear and found another couple of per cent.

"It was only the finishing touch that let us down and some terrific stops by Tim Howard. I've seen Zarate on DVDs doing that at free-kicks. He practices that in training.

"If Sebastian Larsson had been on the pitch, he would have probably pulled rank and taken it because he has been successful from a couple already this season.

"I saw a congregation gathering around the ball and I knew at a given moment a few people fancy themselves to pop the ball over the wall and into the top corner.

"It very rarely happens so I made sure David Murphy got word that I wanted Zarate to take the free-kick and it is a beautiful finish."

McLeish added: "Zarate is still learning the team game and if he had gone to bigger clubs you probably wouldn't have seen him for six months. But we've embraced him, encouraged him, and he is popular with the squad.

"I've got to be careful I am not throwing him in every week just for the sake of the individual skills he has got because I've two experienced strikers out there."