Everton coach David Unsworth is delighted with the pair’s attitude.
Bass Sambou and Anton Donkor came off the bench on Monday to fire Everton’s under-23 team to a 4-2 win over Arsenal.
The talented strikers demonstrated their clear potential in the victory, and earned the praise of coach David Unsworth.
Unsworth admitted it was not ideal leaving them on the bench, as pleasing all the young talents is impossible each week, but says he is delighted with their response.
Speaking to Everton’s official website, Unsworth said: “There are players knocking on my door all the time asking why they aren’t playing and how they can get into the team. That’s brilliant because you want a hungry squad.
“We try and give everybody the opportunity to perform and certainly against Arsenal, the lads who came in certainly had a big impact on the game.”
Sambou, 19, signed for Everton from Coventry City and is keen to try and make his mark.
Donkor is on a season long loan from Wolfsburg and is under a little more pressure to make this season a productive one.
Goals on Monday will have helped their cause, but the Blues now do not have another under-23 game until after the international break.
Everton’s first team has been exposed with their lack of strikers, and if either Sambou or Donkor can put a serious run of form together then they could put themselves in with a real shot of earning a call-up.
Right now there is plenty of work to do to get to that point.
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