Everton captain Phil Neville believes Steven Pienaar is back to his best at a club that loves him.

The South Africa playmaker caught the eye with a goalscoring return to Goodison Park in Saturday's 2-0 Premier League in over Chelsea.

Pienaar, 29, rejoined the Toffees on loan on last month's transfer deadline day after a frustrating year on the fringes of the Tottenham team.

Neville said: "It was a great performance from Pienaar.

"He is obviously back doing what he does best at a club he enjoys playing at.

"I don't think he realises how well thought of he is here.

"When he was at Tottenham I don't think there was a day that went past when we didn't speak about him.

"The combination between him and Leighton Baines on the left-hand side - there is no better combination in English football at the moment.

"He has had a good return. He was man of the match at Wigan last week and probably our best player, along with Denis [Stracqualursi] yesterday."

Pienaar fired Everton into a fifth-minute lead against Chelsea before Stracqualursi, with his first Premier League goal, secured a win which piled on the pressure for visiting boss Andre Villas-Boas 18 minutes from time.

The result maintained Everton's recent revival after another sluggish start to the season.

The Merseysiders, who beat title-chasing Manchester City in their previous home game, are now unbeaten in five league matches as well as through to the FA Cup fifth round.

Neville believes the spark for that good run was provided by a good January transfer window when, after more than two years of frustration in the market, manager David Moyes was able to strengthen significantly.

Darron Gibson and Landon Donovan - albeit the latter only on a short-term loan - arrived early in the month before the late captures of Pienaar and striker Nikica Jelavic, who missed out on Saturday through injury.

Neville said: "At the training ground there is a bounce in everyone's step, the manager is bouncing and the players are all confident.

"There is a real competition for places now and no-one is guaranteed a place.

"All of a sudden you are thinking we are beginning to look like a powerful squad again and that is why the performance levels have been raised."

Everton refused to let Chelsea settle and, aside from a brief spell midway through the first half when Daniel Sturridge and Frank Lampard went close, they controlled the game.

Neville, 35, said: "It was a great performance but that should not be a performance where you think it was one of the best days of your life.

"That should just be a standard performance for us.

"That is what the manager expects and that is what we need to keep up until the end of the season."

Neville was involved in one of the key moments of the game when he won a challenge with Ashley Cole, who limped off injured soon after, in the build-up to Stracqualursi's goal.

He said: "It was just a 50-50 challenge, I slid in and got the ball.

"You don't like to see a team-mate - I have played with Ashley Cole many times - stay down, so I was a little worried about him, but next minute we were celebrating a goal.

"It was there to be won. I can honestly say I went for the ball and I got the ball. That's it."

As a former England international and fan, Neville has followed events concerning the national team with a keen interest over the past fortnight.

He concurs with general public opinion that Spurs boss Harry Redknapp would be the ideal choice to succeed Fabio Capello as manager.

Neville, who won 59 England caps from 1996-2007, said: "I think he is the obvious choice.

"I think he has earned the right to have a shot at the England job and I don't see any other outstanding candidates, apart from one or two.

"Why not give it to Harry? We have tried one of the best managers in world football in Fabio Capello, we tried Sven-Goran Eriksson, who had a great name in the game.

"Let's give it to an English person like Harry Redknapp, who has earned the right to manage our country, and see how it goes from there."