Everton captain Phil Neville has paid tribute to Chelsea fullback Ashley Cole.

Cole is again proving his worth for England at the World Cup.

"He makes up for the shortfall we have in left-sided players and has done that for a long time now," Neville told the Liverpool Echo. "If you asked people how many caps Ashley Cole has I think they'd say 50-60. The fact he has got more than 80 now speaks volumes. We take him for granted.

"I've never seen him have a game where the winger he's against has dominated him - because he is impossible to play against.

"He'll make a 60-yard run and as an opponent you have to follow that and you quickly find yourself back on the edge of your own area. So you then have to make another 60-yard run to get back into the attacking third where you want to be. By the time you are there, you're no longer fresh because you've just run 120 yards.

"In fact, you're absolutely shattered. Ashley does that brilliantly, he makes people defend against him even though he is the left-back.

"England wouldn't be able to play the system they do with anyone other than him at left-back. There is a trust there from the manager and his team-mates.

"Steven Gerrard starts on the left, but he receives most of his passes inside and leaves space for Ashley to get round behind him. Ashley provides the width on the left and without him there, Steven wouldn't be able to roam as much."