PHIL NEVILLE believes Tim Howard has found “the perfect place” at Everton – as he praised the goalkeeper for his record-breaking achievement.

Howard kept his 16th clean sheet of the campaign in the goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

By doing so, the United States international surpassed the club’s previous Premier League best of 15 set by Neville Southall in 1994-95.

Neville was a former team-mate of Howard’s at Manchester United before the pair moved to Goodison.

And the Everton skipper reckons the 30-year-old goalkeeper is on the ideal stage to showcase his substantial talents.

“From day one Tim was in a similar position to me,” said Neville. “He had loved playing for Manchester United and probably thought he wouldn’t play for another club in England, but he ended up coming here and found the perfect place for him.

“The environment and the team spirit has suited him down to the ground. You can count the number of mistakes he has made on one hand over the three years he has been here.

“He is definitely one of the top three keepers in the Premier League.

“Consistency is his key and he is getting better all the time too. Every good team needs a great keeper and we have got one.”

The club record for clean sheets in any league campaign was set in 1969-70, when Gordon West kept 21 shut-outs over a 42-game campaign.

Howard had twice previously come close to Southall’s Premier League record before Saturday’s landmark occasion, a feat all the more impressive given the American didn’t keep a clean sheet in any of his first nine league games this season.

And Neville added: “You have to trust your keeper because if you make a mistake you need someone to pull you out of the mire.

“He has done that countless times this season. He has been on top of his game during our good run.

“Tim made some great stops in the semi-final win over United, and for us to win the cup we are probably going to need him to do so again.

“At the start of the season when we were leaking goals he took it personally, like all great keepers. He gets angry with his back four.

“He is 30 now, and where keepers start to mature and we are so lucky to have found him. He gives us all great confidence.”