“For me he has been our most outstanding player of the season. For someone that size to play in defence shows you how tough he is.

“Teams don’t pick on him, they don’t put high balls down his side because he wins every one of those and shows how tough a player he is.

“There is a genuine vacancy at left-back at the moment. He (Capello) has generally picked the same squad but there looks like there is an opportunity at left-back because of injury and Wayne Bridge’s retirement from international football.

“There is always somebody who comes late down the rails and everyone at Everton hopes it is Leighton Baines.”

Baines made 16 appearances for England’s under-21 team while with previous club Wigan Athletic and Neville is confident that experience, along with regular outings in European competition, will hold the Kirkby-born defender in good stead as he prepares to step up to the senior national team.

“Going forward he is good, he has a lot of assists this year,” said Neville. “People may say he is inexperienced at international level but he has a lot of under-21 caps and that stands you in good stead.

“He has a lot of good European experience, and when we have played the so called big four, he has produced and that is where the England manager judges their performances and their skill.

“If you look at when he first joined Everton, he was sub and having a tough time but the toughness in him made sure he got his place back.

“When you go to international level and try to be somebody that you are not is when you fail but there is no chance of Leighton doing that.”