Neville sways Naysmith to join Blades

Jul 6 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

GARY NAYSMITH has revealed the role Phil Neville played in helping convince him to drop down to the Championship.

After finally completing the £4million signing of Phil Jagielka, (above, picture courtesy of EvertonFC.com), on Wednesday, Everton almost immediately recouped £1million of that fee with the transfer of Naysmith in the opposite direction.

The Scottish international left-back ended his six-and-a-half year stay at Goodison by signing a three-year deal at Bramall Lane.

And he immediately pointed to the United management team as being instrumental in his decision to quit the Premiership – thanks to the Everton captain’s glowing reference for coach Brian Kidd, who worked with Neville at Manchester United.

Naysmith said: “I spoke to Phil about working with Brian Kidd and he had nothing but praise for his training methods and he was sure I would enjoy it immensely.

“Both Bryan Robson and Kidd are born winners so coming to play under them makes me really excited and, after speaking with the chairman, I am keen and happy to be here.

“That’s why I have no problems with dropping a division, as I feel we will only be here for one year.

“We have a great squad with plenty of experience so we should be aiming to get promoted at the first attempt.”

“This is a big club who have done very well in recent years and

were unlucky in the Premiership last season.”

Naysmith also feels he can fill the void left by the versatile Jagielka as he sets his sights on helping the team out in a number of positions.

He added: “I see myself as a left-back but I will play anywhere.

“I can play in midfield, though, and did on occasions for Everton last season.

“I was always there or thereabouts at Everton but they had several established players and if you were out injured it was difficult to force your way back in.”

Meanwhile, David Moyes wants Jagielka to use that versatility to pile the pressure on his first-team players next season.

The Everton manager has praised his first summer signing’s ability to play in a variety of positions and hopes it will increase competition for places in a number of areas.

While Jagielka has made his name as a central midfielder during his Sheffield United career, he has also deputised in defence and played more than half an hour in goal during the Blades’ 1-0 Premiership win over Arsenal in December.

And Moyes see Jagielka as the ideal player to be equipped for the rigours of a season he hopes will involve a UEFA Cup run.

“He can play right-back, centre-back and at times in midfield,” said Moyes.

“He will bring in competition because of the amount of games we will hopefully play this coming season. Our squad is not that big and we need players to push and compete with people.

“Getting people like Jagielka is a good signing for us. He fits into the way we are building a team here.

“We have got a great group of lads here and a really good team spirit which helped us a lot last season and I’m sure it will help us again this season.

“We would have liked him in the first week after the end of last season but it was not possible with the situation with Sheffield United but nevertheless we have got him in the end.”

Jagielka was immediately handed the number 16 shirt when Everton finalised their squad numbers for 2007-08.

One shirt not filled is the number one following the release of Richard Wright, who completed a move to West Ham United.

Everton 2007-08 squad numbers: 2 Tony Hibbert, 4 Joseph Yobo, 5 Joleon Lescott, 6 Mikel Arteta, 7 Andy van der Meyde, 8 Andrew Johnson, 9 James Beattie, 11 James McFadden, 12 Iain Turner, 14 James Vaughan, 15 Alan Stubbs, 16 Phil Jagielka, 17 Tim Cahill, 18 Phil Neville, 19 Nuno Valente, 21 Leon Osman, 24 Tim Howard, 25 Anderson de Silva, 26 Lee Carsley, 27 Lukas Jutkiewicz, 28 Victor Anichebe, 29 Paddy Boyle, 30 John Ruddy, 31 Bjarni Vidarsson.