After stalking his quarry for an inordinate amount of time last summer, David Moyes finally snared Phil Jagielka, a player that The Guardian wittily described as a “footballing Swiss army knife”. This particular blade signed from Sheffield United, and came with the dangerous tag of 'utility player'.

He can play in multiple areas, a comfortable midfielder, centre-back, full-back, and even goalkeeper, where he kept the Arsenal horde at bay when playing for the Blades. The problem with being a 'utility player' is that you are often marginalised by the fact that you can fill in any hole in the team, and I feared the worst for Phil, worrying that he could spend his Everton career on the periphery.

However, Moyes is an extremely canny and patient manager. After the long chase for Jagielka, when the Goodison boss patiently waited for United’s relegation to be confirmed so he could snare the player for the £4m as his release clause dictated, he was always going to take his time to experiment with his new Swiss Army knife.

'Moyes has not only proven that he has a good eye for a signing, but that he can coax good performances out of reluctant stars'

And what we have now is yet another option at centre-back, a player who is passionate, referred to Everton as “we” within moments of signing, and looks to be sharp, young and lively - an Alan Stubbs with speed. Last weekend’s game against Reading marked a coming of age for Jagielka at Everton. The game was largely shaped by him; he scored the Toffees' only goal and came up with two last-ditch tackles at the back that were absolute gold-dust.

Such an assured performance from a player who made a shaky start for the club inspired praise not just from the fans but from Moyes and the keeper who Phil protects every match, Tim Howard. Jagielka cauterised his early lack of confidence with this performance and his displays in the last eight or so games.

The win over Reading strengthens Everton’s claims to fourth place, and if we do manage to confound chasing Liverpool, we will add yet another major fissure to their long list of problems, tying up one of the 'Big Four Giants' like a group of mischievous Lilliputians trussing up Gulliver.