Distin praises Gibson

Darron Gibson could well have planned his Everton return to perfection.

The 25-year-old hasn't featured since 1st September due to a thigh problem and his influence in midfield has been missed.

But with the loss of Phil Neville for the next two months following an operation on the veterans knee, Gibson's return to full fitness couldn't have been better timed.

The Republic of Ireland international was named as one of Everton's overage players in the Sunday's Under-21 game against Reading and featured for just over an hour.

Defender Sylvain Distin also played in the game and the Frenchman thought that Gibson looked good.

"He hasn`t played for a while now, nearly three months, so he did well, His passing seems to be sharp so I think he`s doing good. Distin told The Echo.

He added: "I think we`ve missed him. He`s really important in our squad and we don`t have a big squad, so obviously if we can get a player back that will be beneficial.

Gibson will not provide the same leadership qualities that captain Neville does when he's on the pitch, but Distin believes others can fill the role.

"It`s for us now to find a solution on the pitch. If one leader is missing maybe each player has to be a leader on their own and try to fill the gap. We can`t use it as an excuse.

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