Neville relishing Anfield welcome

Phil Neville will relish the reception he knows will be reserved for him by Liverpool fans when he leads Everton out at Anfield for their Barclays Premier League derby.

The Everton captain is well aware – not just from his days at Goodison Park but his previous experience as a Manchester United lynchpin – that he can expect a torrid time at the hands of the Reds.

Far from shying away from the challenge, though, the former England full-back is looking forward all the more to testing the table-toppers on Monday night.

The first Merseyside derby of the week – Everton are back at Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round next Sunday – will give the Toffees the chance to keep the pressure on the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa in the chase for European places.

Yet irrespective of the points and bigger prizes at stake, the opportunity to play at Anfield is top of 31-year-old Neville’s wish-list every season – and it is the taunting from the home crowd which apparently does it for him more than anything.

“It’s something I really enjoy – if they didn’t do that I’d be worried,” he told his club’s official website, www.evertonfc.com.