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There was one constant noise which echoed throughout a cold night in Burton as Everton under-21s travelled to the Pirelli Stadium.

David Unsworth, who led his young Blues to the double last season, has his eyes on more silverware this term as his side contest the EFL Trophy group stage - and it was his tactical coaching from the touchline which was the underlying tone.

The boss was shouting, coaxing and encouraging each of his players as they played out an impressive 2-0 win against Burton Albion, but none received more guidance than Ellis Simms.

Almost every time the ball was out of play the manager was instructing his striker on where he should be standing, how he should be challenging the defence, everything he was doing right and wrong.

At one stage the youngster was even brought to the sideline during a break in play to study a diagram, hastily scribbled on a piece of paper, from his manager of exactly what he should be doing.

Obviously these are all aspects that will come naturally to Simms in the future, but this was a true sign of the faith the club have in him.

The young striker caught the eye last season for the under-18s with his fantastic goalscoring form, but this was an altogether very different test.

Stepping up to the under-23s is a challenge in itself, but this was a game against a group of League One professionals - with two centre-backs each 31 years of age trying to stop the striker at every avenue.

Would the youngster be up for the physical and tactical battle against two men of such experience?

That was the question facing Unsworth ahead of this game, and it's a query that Simms will hopefully encounter many times in the near future as a potential path to the first team is mapped out in front of him.

That road, moving right through the ranks at Finch Farm, is one a young Everton striker hasn't taken for a long time.

Not since the days of James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe has a regular first-team striker managed that feat.

(Image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

The Blues signed a 19-year-old prodigy for big money for the senior setup this summer, but the main aim of Marcel Brands will no doubt be to eventually produce players of that quality through the club's own youth system.

If Simms wants to live up to that target there are improvements to be made - but obviously a lot of quality for him to build on.

Both aspects of that development were on full display at the Pirelli Stadium.

The 18-year-old was handed a physical test by Burton's centre-backs like none he would have had last season, but perhaps not to the level his manager might have expected.

Regardless, Unsworth's words of encouragement and support from the touchline guided the youngster through in exactly the way he required.

Simms listened to every word his manager said and took everything on board.

As the game progressed his confidence on the ball grew, his ability to hold it up against experienced men got better, his awareness of opponents and teammates around him was elevated.

His big moment of the match, though, was the one he needed no words of guidance over.

Played through by Anthony Gordon in the sixth minute and finding himself one-on-one with the keeper, Simms showed the natural ability which has impressed so many by calmly placing his shot around a helpless on-rushing Stephen Bywater in goal.

That eye for goal has seen him come this far, and being receptive to the coaching he is being given every day will hopefully see him rise to the next level.

His important contribution to the game might have come in the sixth minute, but it's the other aspects Unsworth will have been most impressed to see.

This was the first of many future tests for this 18-year-old to prove he can progress, to show he can step right through the ranks and eventually break into the first team.

After exiting the pitch on 83 minutes, with one last embrace and message in the ear from his manager, he'll feel he stepped up to the challenge in front of him.