Frank Lampard continued his quest to win over the hearts and minds of Everton supporters, although that task will prove considerably easier if 20-year-old homegrown youngster Anthony Gordon continues in such form.

Having had a hand in Everton’s first two goals, the England Under-21 winger claimed the third for himself after Richarlison’s splendid 18-yard shot deflected off him on its way into the Leeds goal.

Along with Donny van de Beek, the player jettisoned without so much as an audition by Manchester United, Gordon was the pick of an Everton line-up that made a mockery of their league standing and, in the process, dragged Leeds closer to the relegation pack.

“I liked his attributes before I came here but you never know until you work with someone,” Lampard said. “But from day one, he’s been engaging, wants to listen and wants to learn.

“When you’re an Everton lad, the fans see that in him and it’s a huge start, but I think he can go a long way in the game. His job now is to keep his head down and I’ve no worries about that. My job, and the staff’s job, is to eke the most out of him we can get.”

For Lampard, the noise of Everton fans singing his name in the closing stages could prove of greater long-term significance even than this victory, given the febrile, self-destructive atmosphere that was generated by the very presence of Rafael Benitez, his predecessor, during the recent terrible run.

The midweek defeat at Newcastle, Lampard’s first league game, had raised concern that a poor start here could have led to home supporters turning on the new manager, but the players’ response, and the two goals they scored in the opening 23 minutes, ensured that would never be the case.

It was the first time Everton had scored more than once in the first half of a league game in a little over 12 months. The first goal, after 10 minutes, came when Gordon’s clever flick played in Van de Beek, whose low cross was challenged for, at the far post, by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Diego Llorente. The loose ball spun up invitingly for Seamus Coleman, who stooped to head in.