Former Everton captain Dave Watson is delighted to his old club's youth system flourishing.

Watson is now a youth team coach at Wigan Athletic but still pays close attention to events at his former club.

Jack Rodwell and Victor Anichebe have both come through the ranks and graduated to the first team in recent years.

Watson points out it's a track record that has continued throughout the last decade.

"It is great to see the young players coming through at Everton," he told the Liverpool Daily Post.

"If you go back further to the likes of Leon Osman, Wayne Rooney, Richard Dunne, Michael Ball and guys like that, they have always had good young players coming through at Everton, and the likes of Jack Rodwell are no different.

"I think the key difference is that at Everton, young players are given a chance to play.

"A lot of clubs can't afford to gamble on young players, and want to simply go out and buy players all the time.

"At Everton they get a chance to play and to learn, and that's the only way you can find out whether they are good enough, by playing them."