Jagielka (left) made his second outing of the season against Spurs on Sunday

Everton captain Phil Neville has praised the influence of defender Phil Jagielka after he returned to the side following a serious knee injury.

Jagielka came on as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.

"He was probably a catalyst for that second half performance," Neville, 33, told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"It's great to have him back as he is a real voice around the place. He probably only trained 10 or 15 days and that shows what a character he is."

Everton dropped to 10th place in the Premier League on Sunday following their defeat at White Hart Lane, which means a late charge for fourth place is all but out of the Blues grasp.

But Neville challenged his side to fight for a third consecutive fifth place league finish and continue to play good football until the end of the season.

"With the games we've got left and the run in, I think it's all to play for," Neville continued.

"I think we have our places to play for as there will be a lot of questions asked of this squad. Can we keep re-producing our good form? It's up to the players now to answer it."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version