Everton manager Roberto Martinez believes that the youngsters he fielded in his side's 1-0 defeat to FC Krasnodar gained vital experience during the Europa League clash.
The Spaniard admitted that his prospects looked nervous during the first half, but insisted that they have come away from the match as different players.
"I thought we saw young players with a lot of talent, but they were very nervous in the first half. I don't think we saw their real quality in the first half, but in the second half they got rid of that fear and expressed themselves a lot better," BBC Sport quotes him as saying.
"The experience will be really helpful. They are different players after the game than they were before, and that is part of the development of a youngster.
"I know the talent the young players have and I think they have learned a massive lesson about how to enjoy yourself on a football pitch. I think these young players will be much more ready to compete on a football pitch after this."
The defeat was essentially meaningless as Everton were already through to the knockout phase of the competition as Group H winners before kickoff.
Mark Langshaw
