Everton legend Kevin Ratcliffe has paid tribute to skipper Phil Neville.

Neville has announced he will leave the club at the end of the season.

"You don't have to win honours to be a great captain," Ratcliffe told the Liverpool Echo.

"That is the case with Phil Neville. He has been a great captain through good times and bad times at the club.

"He has been the player on the pitch always talking and pulling people here and there. He has done really, really well at Everton.

"His experience and knowledge of the game has been passed on to the young players in the team.

"And off the field he gave a lot to the football club.

"He brought a professional attitude to the club and really high standards.

"And people have seen why he is still playing at the top level into his mid-30s - it is because he keeps himself fit by the way he lives his life."