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Everton U23 manager David Unsworth was full of praise for striker Bassala Sambou following his performance and goal in his side’s 2-0 win against Blackburn Rovers on Monday night, and his comments to evertonfc.com suggest that the 21-year-old is ready-made to thrive in the first team.

What's the word, then?

Well, the impressive attacker took his goal tally for the season for the U23s to nine with an unstoppable strike against Rovers, after the ball had been teed up for him just outside the penalty area by teammate Fraser Hornby.

It was the youngster's seventh PL2 goal of the campaign and probably his most impressive, and he received plenty of praise from his boss post-match.

Speaking to evertonfc.com, Unsworth said: "It was fantastic strike.

"He worked his socks off tonight and he gives us so much. He gets us on the front foot and we like to press from the front."

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Ready for the first team?

He might well be.

The Merseyside outfit's season appears to be petering out with a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League all they realistically have to play for now, and it could give manager Marco Silva an opportunity to blood some youngsters in the remaining 12 top flight fixtures.

One of the positions they have struggled with most is striker, where Richarlison has often filled in despite it not being his natural position as Cenk Tosun continues to struggle to adapt to English football.

The fact that Sambou is explosive and willing to press from the front suggest that he would be ideally suited to playing up top in a Silva side, and Unsworth may have just sent a message to the Portuguese coach that the 21-year-old is ready for action.