A PREMIERSHIP footballer who lives in East Lancashire has made an impassioned plea for information regarding the shooting of an 11-year-old boy.

Everton captain Phil Neville has urged anyone with information to come forward and help the find the killer of Rhys Jones.

The football-mad youngster and Everton season ticket holder was gunned down outside the Fir Trees pub in the Croxteth area of Liverpool on Wednesday.

Police are hunting a white male aged between 13 and 15 who witnesses saw firing shots from a footpath that runs past where Rhys was killed.

He died from a gun shot wound to the back of the neck.

Neville, 32, who lives in Crawshawbooth with wife Julie, said: "On behalf of everyone hear at Everton Football Club, and the players especially, I send my condolences to the Jones family on the tragic death of their son Rhys.

"We all here at Everton have families of our own and can not comprehend what you are going through.

"We appeal to anyone with information to contact the police."

Everton Football Club have also posted their condolences to the family on the website along with friends of the 11-year-old who have paid tribute to him on the site's message boards.

There will be a one minute silence at tomorrow's game against Blackburn Rovers at Goodison Park and the players on both teams will wear black armbands.

The Everton captain and his wife have a three-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 18 months but beat the odds to start walking.

Isabella was born 10 weeks early at St Mary's Hospital Manchester.

Two youths aged 14 and 18 were arrested and released on bail in connection with Rhys' death.