Everton skipper has praised the form of midfield general Darron Gibson. With Steven Pienaar and Maurane Fellaini getting all the plaudits, the Everton captain sees Gibbo as the best for the money Everton paid for him.
It was noticeable that the team never played as well when Gibbo went off in the second half in the 3-1 win at Villa
Phil said: "Darron's been a revelation to play with since he came here. He obviously wants the ball and has great energy. We expect massive things from Darron at this club. I don't think he realises how good he can be.
"He's got unbelievable quality and for the money we paid for him, it's got to be one of the snips of the century - to get somebody of his quality that has had the grounding he has. You know you're playing with a good player when he wants the ball and takes it.
"People obviously rave about Steven Pienaar coming in last year but he was probably just as good as Steven in terms of the quality he gave us. I think we've got somebody in midfield now - him and Felli, both at 24 - with energy, quality and more importantly, the hunger to play at the highest level - and that's driving everyone forward.
"I think there's plenty more to come without a shadow of a doubt. I think there's always that doubt when someone comes from a top four side and they're not a consistent member of that team and they're only playing once every few weeks. You wonder if it's fitness or something else. I've been in that situation myself. Darron played at a club where in front of him, he had Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes, two of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
"I always knew his quality from watching him grow up as a kid. I knew he was a real powerhouse midfielder. He had quality on the ball and his set-piece delivery was fantastic. To me, he looks like somebody that could get five to 10 goals per season. When you're playing in Manchester United reserves and only playing for the first team every now and again, I think there's going to be question marks against you. Since coming to Everton, Darron's answered a lot of those questions."
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