Teenage Everton striker Lewis Dobbin has been told he has a "very bright future" after playing for the club's second string this week.
The 16-year-old came off the bench late on at the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday night to play in the closing stages of the EFL Trophy game with Burton Albion.
Dobbin only graduated into the club's under-18s squad last season but has now been given his debut by u-23s boss David Unsworth.
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Unsworth says the Stoke-born forward needs to be given time to adapt to the jump in training and playing standards but he is excited to be working with the youngster.
“I've been champing at the bit to get him involved," Unsworth told the ECHO.
"Him, and there's probably one other under-18s player, who has done really well.
"I think it is important that we allow them to bed in, in their first year scholarship to get used to the amount of training they do, the intensity of it.
"He's going to be a top player, there's absolutely no doubt about that and the great thing tonight was that we had seven subs so it was great to get him involved.
"I was desperate to throw him on and he showed little glimpses of his pace and movement and there is an awful lot to work with there. I think he's got a very bright future.”
Dobbin, who joined the club aged 11, has been capped by England at u-16 level and has scored two goals for the Blues' u-18s side so far this season.
