Football: Baines will be our tiger, says skipper Neville; LEGEND SHARP BACKS MOYES' SUMMER BUYS.

Byline: By IAN DOYLE

PHIL NEVILLE believes Everton have signed a "little tiger" after Leighton Baines completed his move to Goodison yesterday.

Baines put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Goodison outfit having previously agreed a pounds 5m deal with Wigan Athletic which could rise to pounds 6m depending on a number of additional clauses.

The 22-year-old left-back, who was born in Kirkby, turned down offers from Newcastle United and Sunderland to become Everton's new number three.

Baines was ironically released by Everton's Academy as a youngster before ending up at Wigan, where he made 162 appearances and scored four goals in six years at the JJB Stadium.

And Goodison skipper Neville is delighted with the new arrival and is confident local boy Baines has the attributes to prove a major hit with supporters.

"He's one of us," said Neville. "You need those type of characters in the club, good local English players. They know the game.

"When he first came up to the Premier League, I didn't know much about him but then I played against him in the opening few weeks, and found he's a little tiger.

"He's in your face, round your legs and he never knows when he's been beaten. He impressed me straight away. You see someone of his stature and you think you can get at him, but we couldn't that day.

"He is a great defender, good going forward and really strong and tough and takes no prisoners from anyone. That's why he will fit in superbly here.

"He's a Scouser and he knows all about the club, and that helps. From day one, when everyone was bidding for him, you could tell the only club he wanted to join was Everton."

Baines's burgeoning reputation at Wigan led to international recognition, with the full-back having so far earned 16 caps for the England under-21 side.

Baines played a major part in Stuart Pearce's team reaching the semi-finals of the Uefa European U21 Championships in the summer, and Neville believes a call-up to the full national side is imminent.

"It'll help his England prospects coming to Everton," said the captain.

"We're a more fashionable club than Wigan and it'll help his own game playing in front of 40,000 every week. The expectation and pressure is greater here.

"We hope that he is joining a better team, and we have to prove to him that we are a teamthat's hopefully on the up.

"I watched a lot of him with England's U21s and he's a player who can progress into the full national side. I don't see many better English left-backs in the Premier League.

"I'm sure he was close to being called up at the end of the season when they called up Nicky Shorey instead. If there hadn't have been an U21 tournament in the summer, I'm sure he would have got the nod."

Everton have taken German goalkeeper Stefan Wessels on a short trial from Cologne.

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New boy Leighton Baines