Former Everton goalkeeping coach Hugo Oliveira is convinced by the potential of Joao Virginia.

Oliveira insists a new loan must be on the agenda of Virginia next season.

A loan move to Reading, in the summer of 2019, was designed to offer him that but after just three appearances he was frozen out and the deal was cut short in the January.

Oliveria, however, insists it should not put Virginia off going back out on loan.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

"It was important," Oliveira told the Liverpool Echo.

"For some people, a loan is only positive when you go away and play games.

"But it is also important in the context of facing difficulties. He didn't play many games but he grew in terms of being more mature and now knowing how to react in different locker rooms and with a different kind of pressure.

"You can only grow if you are taken out of your comfort zone.

"He needs to develop. He has gone up a level, for sure, but, because he is hungry. He has the capacity for hard work and he is ambitious - very ambitious.

"And so it is important in the next year he plays games professionally.

"Everton have Jordan Pickford and Olsen and so it is important for that year that Joao plays professionally so he can return and fight for the spot."