Everton skipper Phil Neville has hailed the early season form of Phil Jagielka.

Neville insists Jagielka has been sensational in the early stages of the new season, and rates one challenge on Manchester United's Danny Welbeck in their campaign's opening game as a vintage moment.

"I'd say his tackle on Welbeck in the second half was probably as good a tackle as you'll see all season," he says. "In that first weekend there was a lot of bad defending and goals conceded.

"The art of defending is getting harder with the speed of the play and technique of attackers. I think we're lucky with the defenders we've got - proper defenders who know the distances like Tony Hibbert.

"Jags has got everything you want from a top centre-half. You can see the maturity. He's 30 now and I think centre-halves only get better as they get older and the recovery of his speed when the ball goes over the top is great."