Nev: Donovan Will Be Missed

Club skipper says American was even better second time around.

Phil Neville says Landon Donovan was even better second time around.

The American's latest Everton loan spell ended at the weekend and he has now flown back to his home in Los Angeles.

An illness caused Donovan to miss out on a farewell appearance on Saturday but Neville believes the fervent reception he received at the full-time whistle showed his two-month contribution will be remembered just as fondly as his first spell in 2010.

The 29-year-old was greeted by zealous applause and chants of ‘USA, USA’ from a sell-out Goodison crowd when he took to the pitch following the Blues' 2-0 win over Blackpool.

"Last time he came here, he lit the place up," said skipper Neville. "He came back this time a couple of years older and with more expectation on his shoulders. He was really on a hiding to nothing and I think this time he's performed even better.

"I know how he felt when he had to miss the game. He was devastated. It was just nice that he could thank the fans for a tremendous two months."

Donovan amassed a total of six assists in a nine-game stint which saw the Blues lose just twice and produce their best form of the campaign to date.

The US international turned in a man of the match performance to dispose of Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round and also played a key role in victories over Manchester City and Chelsea.

"He was a breath of fresh air around the place," admitted Neville. "He immersed himself in the whole Club - not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well. We will miss him."

Goals from Royston Drenthe and Denis Stracqualursi inside the first seven minutes eased Everton past Blackpool and into the FA Cup's last eight.

Sunday's draw then handed the Blues a home tie against Sunderland, with a semi-final runout at Wembley the prize for the victors.  

Neville confessed it was pleasing to overcome a potentially tricky obstacle in Ian Holloway's Seasiders but stressed he won't be getting carried away with premature thoughts of silverware.

"We got off to a perfect start," he said. "I think we were a little bit unsettled. Landon dropped out on the morning of the game, we lost Tim Cahill and Leighton Baines was sick as well. It was important we got off to a good start.

"The manager told us to play plenty of balls forward, get at Blackpool early on and make it a cup tie and we did that. But Blackpool kept going, kept attacking us and kept leaving men forward. They had chances.

"In the end, it took an unbelievable save from Tim Howard and a penalty miss from Kevin Philips to knock us into the next round. I think deservedly so, but I think we rode our luck towards the end.

"You can't get too ahead of yourself," he added. "I know the supporters are probably thinking that we're one game away from Wembley but all we need to concentrate on is the quarter-final game.

"If you start thinking about the final or the semi-final, you get knocked out. The FA Cup is like that and it's why it's the best competition in the world."