The King

By The Nark End
February 13 2010

Blues captain Phil Neville hails the impact Louis "The King" Saha is having on the sides decent run of late....

Phil Neville says Louis Saha is so good even the players call him King!

The Everton captain says the Frenchman is one of the best strikers in the Premier League and proved it with his performance against Chelsea on Wednesday.

"Louis is our top goal scorer and if you ask any centre back in English football they will tell you they don't want to play against Louis Saha," Neville said.

"His nickname around the place is King!  King Louis!  And you don't get a nickname like that by being an average footballer. 

"He is a special footballer with a special talent and he has been outstanding since he came to Everton."

Saha's two goals against the Premier Leader leaders on Wednesday took his tally this season to 15 in all competitions.

Neville believes the striker is now leaving the injuries that blighted his early career behind him.

"His attitude has been brilliant and he is an influential part of the team," Neville explained.

“People go on about his injury record but he has played nearly every game this season."

Landon Donovan set up Saha’s first against Chelsea and has impressed since arriving at Goodison in January. And the Blues the Club captain says England will have singled out the American as the danger man in the USA line up when they two sides meet in the World Cup this summer.

The on-loan LA Galaxy player has a string of impressive performances under his belt in recent weeks.

But Neville says his showing against Chelsea is his best so far.

The skipper says Fabio Capello will have paid close attention to Donovan and the way he kept Ashely Cole out of the game before the left-bacl was forced off with a serios ankle injury.

"Landon was asked to do a job against Ashley Cole.  The question the manager asked Landon before the game was ‘can you pose Ashley Cole a problem?’" revealed Neville.

"Well he did that, he totally nullified Ashley Cole and he posed the whole back four a problem.  He was outstanding."

Donovan must return to the States next month and join back up with the Galaxy for the start of the MLS season.

But Neville hopes he could return to Everton in the future.

"For me playing at right back with him in front of me has made my job easier,” he revealed.

"It has been a pleasure to play with him.  We just hope that maybe this kind of loan arrangement can be done again next season because he has fitted in superbly."