Everton's Phil Jagielka glad to be playing alongside Sylvain Distin againThe defender says his French pal has "proved he's a fantastic player"
Goodison's Press room this week marked the first ever visit of French opposition by laying on a huge cheeseboard.
Juxtaposed with the traditional half-time fare of meat pies it was an unusual culinary combination.
But while fusions of Anglo-Gallic cuisine might seem odd, on the pitch two old partners from either side of the Channel were settling back alongside each other like they’d never been parted.
As double acts go, Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin remain one of football’s most solid units and for over five years now the pair of them have mostly been the rocks at the heart of Everton’s defence.
There have been attempts to split them up before. Dutch international John Heitinga arrived at the Blues from Atletico Madrid with a big reputation shortly after Distin’s move from Portsmouth and for a time he provided serious competition.
Indeed the 2010 World Cup,, finalist was voted Everton’s Player of the Year for the 2011/12 season but ultimately when fit, Jagielka and Distin would remain the first choice combination.
Last season, a new younger model came between the partners as John Stones emerged as a Goodison star of the future during his captain's injury.
Back together at the start of the current campaign some uncharacteristic mistakes saw Distin left on the sidelines for several weeks but with Stones suffering a serious ankle injury and the unfortunately accident prone Antolin Alcaraz back on the treatment table where he’s spent most of his Goodison career after dislocating his shoulder, manager Roberto Martinez is having to turn to his most experienced pairing – not that his skipper is complaining.
Jagielka said: “It’s good to be back playing alongside Sylvain. There’s been a few partners along the way but we’ve run out of partners.
“I’ve changed sides left and right but it’s always nice to play alongside Sylvain, I’ve played many games with him.
“He’s proved against Lille that he’s a fantastic player. At the moment the manager has not got too many other options apart from young Tyias [Browning] who can come in if and when needed.
“Hibbo came in and did a great job and that’s what you expect of him and I don’t need to tell anyone about Baines do I?”
He added: “The whole back four, or five if you put Tim [Howard] in there have all been together for over five years now.
“When you’re aware what people around you are going to do it makes life a bit easier.
“If you can communicate too then it’s an added bonus. With Syl, as much as he’s French he speaks great English, I don’t have to use my French speaking to him so it’s pretty good.”
Distin, whose current Everton contract expires at the end of the season, turns 37 next month but Jagielka has no concerns over his super-fit colleague’s powers of longevity.
He said: “It’s amazing. You look at him and it seems like he gets younger each year.
“You forget how old he is but fair play to him, he works really hard both on and off the pitch.
“The proof is in the pudding if he can keep playing to the standard that he does at his age – I’m going to do him a favour and not mention his age - he’s a fantastic professional and a great role model for kids.”
While his partners have chopped and changed Jagielka has been the one constant at centre-back this season but after being moved across to the left to accommodate fellow right-footers Stones and Alcaraz, he appreciates the natural balance the left-footed Frenchman brings.
He said: “The manager wanted to make a competitive squad. Stonesy had a fantastic end to last season and he’s obviously one that the club will be pushing for the future.
“He was given a chance and did really well but unfortunately got a pretty serious injury and then Antolin [Alacaraz], who had been waiting in the wings, got his chance and did well.
“That’s the way it goes when you’ve got a competitive squad and good centre-backs competing for their positions and Sylvain had to take a back seat but has done really well since he returned.
“It’s an advantage to have a left and right-footed central defender just purely from playing out of the back and naturally being able to go down the line and open up the passing channels. But I’m just happy to play and if I have to play on the left I’ll play on the left.
“It does seem to balance the team out a bit more.”
Since his last-gasp derby blockbuster that silenced the Kop, Jagielka has developed quite a knack of scoring.
His header against Lille followed efforts against Aston Villa and San Marino for England, which gives him a current total of four goals so far this season – level with the Blues main striker and record £28million signing Romelu Lukaku.
Jagielka said: “I wouldn’t say I’ve become prolific.
“I’ve obviously been saving them up for a while.
“I thought we had a really good start to the game against Lille and I was a little bit disappointed that we didn’t get the first goal quicker, but we got two goals in the first half and I thought we were good value for that.
“Given the chances we created it was a good start to the game.”
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