Kids Are The Future

At the end of Thursday night's match against AZ Alkmaar Everton had five products of the Club's Academy on the field.

And that was without the injured Leon Osman. First-team regulars Victor Anichebe, James Vaughan and Tony Hibbert were joined on the field by 16-year-old Jack Rodwell and Icelandic Under-21 international midfielder Bjarni Vidarsson.

For both youngsters it was their first taste of senior competitive action - with Rodwell breaking Colin Harvey's 44-year record to become the youngest player to represent Everton's senior side on the European stage.

The manager is keen to give the Club's rising stars an opportunity to shine. Indeed, he has revealed he has insisted on even more youngsters coming through with the qualities necessary to represent the Everton first team.

He told evertonTV: "It was very good to get the lads on. We want to try and get more through - it is something I am harping on about to the people at the Academy. We want to bring more through and, as you have seen, if they are good enough I will put them in the team."

Everton have become the first club in world football to produce its own online player development website, utilising the wealth of experience available at the Club's Academy. For more details on The Everton Way, click here.