Sheedy Excited By Saints Test

Under-18s to face Southampton in FA Youth Cup.

Under-18s coach Kevin Sheedy is relishing his side’s FA Youth Cup trip to Southampton on Monday.

The Blues travel to St Mary’s Stadium to take on the high-flying Saints, a side who have been in imperious form in the league and will meet Everton in next year’s Elite Group Stage.

For now though, Sheedy's focus is only on cup progression.

“We have had them watched and we’ve seen videos of them in action,” he revealed in an exclusive interview with evertontv. “We know what their strengths and weaknesses are. We have been stepping up our preparation and will pick a team that we feel can win.

“It’s a great opportunity, playing at St Mary’s, and it will be a good experience for the players. It will be a real test but this is where you want to see your better players come to the fore. It’s a real big game for all of us.”

In the video above, Sheedy also discusses why he relishes the challenge of the Youth Cup, the past success of Southampton's prestigious academy and his own memories of appearing in the competition*.

Kick off at St Mary’s is at 7pm. Look out on evertonfc.com on Monday evening for team news, live updates and highlights.

* If you are using the Official Everton App, please navigate to the 'video' section.