Everton U23 coach David Unsworth is pleased with Ellis Simms' progress.

Simms, 18, scored 46 goals for Paul Tait's under-18 side last season and has so far bagged three in six appearances under the tutelage of Unsworth.

"Ellis is playing at a different level now to what he had been doing and everybody expects goals from him," Unsworth told the Liverpool Echo following the recent Premier League 2 victory over Blackburn Rovers in which the striker came from the bench to net the winner.

"What we've had to do is break him down and teach him real football, not kids academy football.

"This is real football in terms of his all-round game, which we felt needs areas of work. Full credit to him, he showed tonight what a good player he can potentially be by doing the things we've been working on with him since July 1st.

"His runs behind, he's holding up the ball, working for the team, all these things that you have to do in the real game, he's certainly working really hard behind the scenes."

Unsworth also revealed that Simms is being closely monitored by former Everton and England forward Francis Jeffers at Finch Farm.

"Franny works tirelessly with him in terms of his movement," he added. "He's making runs now that he probably didn't do over the last two years.

"You have to change your game because defenders now are probably as big, as quick, as strong as him. He has to do something different because he can't just runaway from people."