Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez called former Manchester United teammate Gary Neville a “boot-licker” and an “idiot” on Argentinian radio, reigniting the former feud between the two players.

Tevez and Neville exchanged gestures during the clubs’ Carling Cup semi-final clash at Eastlands on Tuesday night after Neville claimed in an interview at the weekend that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had done the right thing in letting Tevez leave in the summer.

The Argentina forward told ESPN Radio: “In all the press here, Gary Neville came out and stood by Ferguson’s comments, saying that I wasn’t worth £25million.

“I thought he was in the wrong because we were team-mates and I never disrespected him, I always respected him.

“I feel he was a boot-licker when he stood by Ferguson’s comments that I wasn’t worth that money.

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Everton manager David Moyes is sweating over the fitness of South Africa’s Steven Pienaar and veteran midfielder Phil Neville ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Pienaar and former Manchester United star Neville both suffered minor hamstring injuries in Sunday’s 2-0 victory at Fulham and face fitness tests this week to assess their chances of making the Wembley date.

Moyes said: “Neville has a problem with his hamstring as does Pienaar. We’ll have to see how they are – I don’t know about next week yet.

“Phil’s was a little worse than Pienaar’s, I’ll have to see how he is as the week progresses.”

Losing both players would be a massive blow to Moyes but he believes France striker Louis Saha has the potential to frighten Chelsea’s defenders into submission anyway.

Saha is getting back to the form which saw him earn his 12.8 million pounds move to Manchester United from Fulham in 2004.

Moyes saw Saha, 30, turn in a spirited performance against his former club at Craven Cottage.

The Frenchman is now certain for a starting berth against Chelsea given that Everton’s on-loan Brazilian striker Jo is cup-tied for the showpiece final.

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