Leon Osman and Tony Hibbert will be at Everton as long as I am says David Moyes

Mar 1 2011 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

DAVID MOYES will send his two Everton ‘Blue Bloods’ into FA Cup action tonight, almost two years after a harrowing Wembley experience looked to have signalled the end of their Goodison careers.

The Blues boss declared today that Leon Osman and Tony Hibbert have both got jobs for life – or at least as long as he is in charge – and insisted he never lost faith in the little Scousers who epitomise much of his own Everton philosophy.

Osman and Hibbert suffered more than most when Chelsea beat Everton in the 2009 FA Cup final.

Hibbert was hauled off at half-time, while Osman was also replaced as David Moyes’ hopes of becoming the first Blues boss to land silverware since 1995 fell at the final fence.

But despite signing defenders Lucas Neill and Johnny Heitinga, plus midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov in the wake of that Cup final defeat, Moyes insisted he never lost faith in the home grown duo.

“We’ve never given up on Ossie or Hibbo,” he rapped.

“As long as I’m here Ossie and Tony Hibbert will be here, as long as they want to be here.

“They know what the club’s about.

“They know what’s required and they know what I’m about and from that point of view I think they’re really important.

“Ossie would have played any position. Hibbo I know if I put him in he’ll never let me down, he’ll always give me his best.

“I’ve never thought they’ve outlived their usefulness for us. Never. Unless they ever come to me and say they thought that had happened, but that won’t come from me because I know I can rely on them.

“They’re not always our best players, but they certainly always do their job and they know the mechanics of the club and they know what’s required.

“They are really good team players.”

Both came through the Goodison youth ranks and picked up FA Youth Cup winners medals in 1998.

Hibbert made his senior debut at West Ham in March 2001, when he won a penalty kick after almost losing his head to a Stuart Pearce challenge. Since then he has made 262 appearances, but famously still awaits his first goal.

Despite waiting almost three years longer for his first team debut, Osman trails his colleague by just six appearances, and has 34 goals to his name.

While Hibbert was an unused substitute on Saturday against Sunderland, Osman earned his manager’s own personal man of ther match nomination.

And he said: “They will find times when they’re not in the team – Hibbo’s finding that at the moment – but I would never lose faith in either of them because the two of them are regular.

“I see them training every day and, it’s easy to say, but they look as if they’ve got blue blood.

“Because of that I know exactly what they’re going to give me when they go out on the pitch.

“We always need players who are going to be committed and willing to ruffle a few feathers, and Ossie’s willing to do that. Ossie’s one of the senior boys and he will dig a few out if he doesn’t think they’re doing the right job.

“He is magnificent with the ball at his feet.

“I actually thought he was as good as anybody against Sunderland. I thought Ossie played really well.

“He did a lot of great things and his skill in the box was great. I couldn’t believe it when their boy got back to head his shot off the line. I thought it was in.

“He was involved with the first goal and he was involved all game. A lot of our good play came off Leon Osman and he has been a really steady player over the years, he really has. I’ve said many times that he’s a real team player for us.”