West Ham United captain Matthew Upson has urged James Tomkins not to get down after dropping out of the starting XI.

Upson partners Manuel Da Costa tomorrow against Everton but has words of comfort for rookie defender Tomkins, 20, who starts on the bench.

He said: "James needs to develop and gain experience but, for his age, he's an outstanding prospect.

"He takes information on board well, which means he'll learn and improve.

"James has got the stature and raw materials to be a top player. It's a big ask for him to play every game so I'm sure he's not going to complain."