Everton captain Phil Neville is delighted with the club's capture of Wigan left-back Leighton Baines.

He revealed: "When Leighton first came up to the Premier League, I didn't know much about him but then I played against him in the opening few weeks and found he's a little tiger.

"He's in your face, round your legs and he never knows when he's beaten. He impressed me straight away.

"You think you can get at him but we couldn't that day. He's one of us and you need those characters in the club, good local English players. They know the game.

"He is a great defender, good going forward, really strong and tough and takes no prisoners. That's why he will fit in superbly here - and that's why the fans will love him.

"He's a Scouser and that helps. When everyone was bidding for him, you could tell the only club he wanted to join was Everton."

Neville believes it is only a matter of time before Baines, 22, is a full international.

He added: "It'll help his England prospects. We're more fashionable than Wigan and he'll be playing in front of 40,000 crowds."