Everton Under-21s have been told they must learn to see games out after suffering Jersey Mike’s Trophy defeat at Shrewsbury Town
SHREWSBURY, ENGLAND - JULY 21: David Hughes, Head of Everton Academy football, looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Shrewsbury Town and Everton Under 21 at Croud Meadow on July 21, 2026 in Shrewsbury, England. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
David Hughes, Everton's head of academy player development(Image: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
View Image
Head of academy player development David Hughes believes there are plenty of positives for Everton Under-21s to take from their trip to Shrewsbury Town but the young Blues need to learn how to see games out.
After falling behind to Isaac Fletcher’s 51s- minute strike for the League Two side – who made 10 changes to their starting line-up from the weekend – Everton looked set to pick up their first point in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy this season following substitute Omari Benjamin’s 84th-minute equaliser.
However, the Shropshire outfit secured victory in stoppage time as their own substitute Jeval Thompson-McKenzie fired in from close range after the visitors failed to clear a corner-kick.
Hughes told the ECHO: “I think we’re all pleased with many elements of some of the first-half play. We had numerous opportunities in the first half to have found ourselves in front and we didn’t take them.
READ MORE: Seamus Coleman slams TFG's Everton transfer shambles - 'Who sells a striker before you get one in?'
“When you don’t do that, you get punished – and we did. It was miles better than Stockport in the first game of the season for sure.
“It was a different team, a different feel to the game, but ultimately, we came here for a pre-season friendly and re-emphasised to the players, we need to see progress from the level of performance we played in pre-season.
Make sure you never miss the latest Everton news and opinion by makingLiverpool Echo one of your Google preferred sources.
“I think we did, we look better. We’ve certainly got a competitive edge to the group of players. Ultimately, conceding that late on with the set-play is massively disappointing.
“We try to be real in the feedback and the way we try and prepare for the game. We spend time preparing for set plays and making sure we’re organised, so that’s why we’re very disappointed with it.”
One major positive from the night was the display off the bench from Benjamin – the former Arsenal youngster who Everton acquired in 2024. Hughes said: “He was very lively. A good threat with movement off the back line, he got between the lines and injected some pace and energy into it. Very, very good impact on off the bench.
“You know, I think you look at the way the game is now, people make five changes most weeks and as the tempo of the game maybe changes, you want them to inject some inject some freshness and some fresh impetus into the game. Omari definitely did that.”
When asked about the prospect of some of his youngsters having to be called upon by David Moyes’ first team – especially for bench duty – with just 18 outfield players in the senior squad and injuries starting to bite, the 48-year-old said: “Well, all we can do is ensure we’re preparing the players, we’re continually pushing them. We’re continually challenging them, supporting their development and that’s all we’ll do.”
Everton have now lost both of their group games in the competition this season having gone down 6-3 at League One Stockport County in August, despite coming back from a 3-0 deficit to briefly draw level. They will now go to Merseyside neighbours Tranmere Rovers for their third fixture on November 24.
Hughes enjoys the different types of experiences that his charges are getting though and said: “It’s massively important. The variation in the programme, we’ve played, Borussia Moenchengladbach last week, we’ve played Solihull, Hartlepool, Boreham Wood, who are top of the National League, we’ve just played a team who are 10th in League Two and then you’ve got the league matches.
“The games that the boys have been afforded an experience in have been excellent. So, they all offer something different and you know, learning takes place in different environments.
“What we have to do is, as we said, we have to get to 93 minutes and we can’t lose a game.”