FA Cup Final heartbreak: Everton FC will come back stronger - Phil Neville

The Blues' season ended in heartbreak at Wembley on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Neville was desperate to give his side's supporters a piece of silverware and felt as if he had let them down when he had to walk past the trophy in the Royal Box.

However, Everton's captain believes that heartache can be put to good use when David Moyes and his squad return to training next month, aiming to go one step better.

"We have shown over the past six or seven months that we are on the cusp of something big and we know the squad is in great shape," said Neville today.

"We don't need a massive summer of rebuilding, or anything like that; we only need the right couple of additions and we will be breathing down the top four's necks.

"We are getting closer and closer; we've had some fantastic results this season but, unfortunately, Saturday wasn't to be and Chelsea were worthy winners.

"The pain is not something I ever want to experience again. We've now got the summer to reflect on things and I know from having looked around the dressing room that the lads have got the hunger to go again. That has to be the case."

During his time with Manchester United, Neville was involved in the squad for four major finals and won every single one, so the experience at Wembley was both new and unpleasant.

He was met at the top of the stairs by his wife, Julie, and children, Harvey and Isabella, who tried to lift his spirits but there was no disguising the anguish he felt that John Terry was the skipper who lifted the Cup.

"When I went up those steps I just felt empty," he said. "It was probably the worst feeling of my career. Wembley isn't a place to come and lose.

"You feel as if you've let everyone down, your family, friends, everyone. I saw my kids at the end and felt a failure. But you have to make sure that's the feeling which is used as a spur next time.

"It's the fans I feel for most though. They will have driven back up the M6 fiercely proud of the team but extremely disappointed.

"I can assure them we will be coming back next season to give them a treat. If any team deserved to be in an FA Cup final it was us, after playing Liverpool, Villa, Middlesbrough and United to get here.

"We probably didn't perform as well as we should have done but the gulf in the rest of those matches hasn't been that great. We're well on the road to bridging it, too and we certainly have the right manager for it."

Despite the disappointment of losing to Chelsea, Neville still feels it has been a season to remember and said: "You can't take anything away from the players, they have been immense. We have to remember that we've come so far."