Seamus Coleman is leading the way for Everton’s youngsters to make their mark on the first-team, according to Roberto Martinez.
The right-back has gone from strength to strength since the turn of the year, consistently being among the top performers for Club and country.
Such is the 24-year-old’s rise, Coleman has gone from being omitted from the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2012 squad to captaining his nation in a recent friendly.
Blues boss Martinez acknowledges the honour as just reward and admits he is excited about the potential exhibited by the former Sligo Rovers man.
He told evertontv: “[Seamus] is still a young man in football terms and at such a young age, he’s just going to develop and get better and stronger.
“It’s great to see players have used the pre-season well and are making that impact from the start.
“I think we have some outstanding young players in this squad that they very much balance the experience and wisdom of the senior figures in the group.”