Four More Years

Phil Neville has signed this morning a four year extension to his contract that will keep him at the Club till 2012 when he will be 35 years old. Phil had no hesitation in putting pen to paper on a new contract as he believes that the Blues are heading in the right direction under Moyesy's tutorship. Well played Phil lets just put a silver lining on this season come 2009.

Phil says: "First of all I am really proud that the club has offered me a 4-year contract. I've been here three seasons now and I have to say that I've loved every minute of it. I'd like to think that I have immersed myself into the club culture. It's something I had to do after being at one club for about 16 years but it was easy for me to do because from day one this club sucks you in. From the outside looking in you don't know what to expect but I found when I came here that the spirit and the togetherness of the club is fantastic.

Loyalty is a big thing in my life and this is the only club that I want to play for. It's a great club and I want to finish my career here. At the end of last season I spoke to the manager, and the chairman and it was quite easy. When you've got two parties who want the same deal and are happy with each other these things only take a couple of hours. I can't understand players who go into negotiations for six months because that tells me that one party involved isn't happy about things. But that wasn't the case with us. It took one meeting and one telephone call and it was as easy as that.

I wouldn't have signed if the club wasn't moving forward. We've just got to trust the manager and let him do his job. He's not going to let this club take a backward step after the last few seasons. It was without doubt the biggest challenge I've ever had in my career. I had to prove to people that I could become a blue and love playing for Everton and I'd like to think I've done that." (25/07/08)

In Moyes We Trust

Blues Skipper Phil Neville is targeting a trophy this season, and in turn he will become the first Everton player since Dave 'Waggy' Watson to lift some silverware for the Boys in Blues. But before we can think of lifting trophies come 2009, Phil like every other Evertonian knows that we have to strengthen our squad to achieve success. The Captain is not too worried by the lack of transfer activity at Goodison this Summer, and believes come the end of the transfer deadline, Moyesy will have several new faces battling to be in the first eleven for the coming season.

Skipper Phil says: "We need to make sure we climb that mountain again this season, it is going to be very difficult but I am sure everyone believes we can maintain the form we have shown over last three or four seasons. That's our aim this season and hopefully we can come out of this season with a trophy under our belt.

You leave all the worrying up to the manager because my main worry is the players who are injured. We need them back fit as we have five or six players who would get in our starting 11 all injured, we need them back and we need them to do a pre-season. Signings you leave up to the manager and I don't think many clubs are signings players as it looks like a difficult market at the moment. I think as time goes on towards the deadline you will see clubs being more active in the transfer market and I am sure we will be the same.

We go on tour to America next week and I am sure when we come back the manager will strengthen the squad. For the trophies we are aiming for and the competitions we are playing in, we will need a bigger squad than what we have got at minute. We have lost four or five from last season, so we probably need four or five more players just to bolster the squad. We have always gone into the season with a smaller squad than most and the UEFA Cup campaign does take a lot out of you, so four or five players will see us right for next season." (22/07/08)

New Signings Will Come I Think

Phil Neville is confident that new faces will be at Goodison before the Summer is out, though he ominously warns that if they are not the likes of Tiny and Mikky will feel like new signings after their injury nightmares from last season are now behind them. Phil is with the rest of the squad in Switzerland where on Saturday they open up their friendly fixtures for the Summer against FC Sion.

Phil says: "I think every club is waiting for one other club to make a move. I think you’ll see one big transfer and then all of a sudden everyone else will start buying players. I don’t think Everton fans should worry too much about us signing too many players because of the quality in the squad.

I’m sure the manager will strengthen the squad but I’m more looking forward to getting Tim Cahill back because we missed him for four or five months of the season. Bainesy missed part of it and we probably didn’t see enough of Mikel Arteta after Christmas because of his injury. These types of players are going to be like new players for us next season." (10/07/08)

Get Ready For The Ride

Phil Neville is hoping that he and his Everton team mates don't let last seasons successful campaign go to waste, and he is hoping for more from the Blues this season. With a great run in the UEFA Cup, a last four in the League Cup, coupled with a fifth place finish for the lads, it was the Blues best season in many a long year, and Skipper Phil wants more of it. If Blue Bill gives Moyesy some cash for more quality, Phil is adamant that us the fans will get another roller coaster ride this coming season. That's what being a Blue is all about, and that's why we love 'em.

Phil says: "We just have to kick on and show the same determination, confidence and consistency that we showed last season. It is early days yet but I’m excited already about the season to come. For me and the rest of the players the European experience last season was fantastic but we also got to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup, which everybody seems to have forgotten about a little bit because of our European exploits.

They really capt-ured the imagination of the fans and the players alike and we had some great occasions at Goodison. It would be great to go on a bigger adventure this year and I am sure the fans will love to be along for the ride!" (05/07/08)

New Faces Will Help The Challenge For Fourth Place

The Everton skipper expects to see new faces when the team meets up for pre-season training next month and to be focused on trying to break into the top four in the Premiership.

Phil says: "With the European Championships, a lot of managers are out there looking at players. You will see in the next couple of weeks that once teams start going out of the championships you'll see the transfer market hotting up. I think a lot of teams have got money out there and a lot of teams want to do better this season than what they did last. It's up to us to keep improving and sign a few players to make sure we're still ahead of everybody else below us.

I think we owe it to everybody in the league to make sure the top four are consistently challenged because it would be a boring league if, every year, the same four teams finish in the top four. We did it three years ago and finished in a Champions League position in fourth place, so that's our aim this season." (17/06/08)

No Foreign Money Men Please

The shite have them, manure have them, Chelski have one, as do Shitteh, but Blues Skipper Phil Neville is pleased that Everton are not run by foreign investors. With the Thai Prime Minister and The Russian Billionaire picking the players that come to their club, Phil is happy that a supporter is at the controls of Everton, as importantly we keep our identity if not sack full's of cash. Would be nice though if he was a tadge richer, just a few more West End productions Bill and were laughing kidda'.

Phil says: "The chairman is a massive Everton fan, and there's no way he will let some Russian or American come in and destabilise our club. You have seen it with the Americans at Liverpool, you have seen it with Russian owners, they are a rule to their own. It does cause embarrasment sometimes for the club and that hopefully won't happen at Everton.

I'm sure as long as Bill Kenwright is at the club, it won't happen because he has got the best interests of the club at heart. It is the People's Club and it would be great to have that sort of finance, but you have got to keep the principles of the club intact as well.

I must say, the Aston Villa owner (Randy Lerner) has conducted himself in the right way. The year before I left United there were people worried about how the Glazers would run the club but they have put themselves right in the background, not meddled in team affairs, and backed the manager to the hilt - and it's the same at Villa as well. It is about the team and the fans, not the owner." (13/06/08)