THEY say every cloud has a silver lining. And for David Moyes, such evidence will be in the squad that heads south today in preparation for Saturday’s FA Cup final.

A summer of chronic injury problems, recruitment issues and an already threadbare playing staff meant Everton had no option but to rely on youth during their pre-season preparations.

It provided a chance for some of Goodison’s fledgling hopefuls to impress the management alongside senior players.

And none made the most of their opportunity more than Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling.

The pair have gone on to play significant roles in Everton’s run to the final, where Moyes’s side take on Chelsea aiming to snaffle the club’s first major silverware in 14 years.

Gosling etched his name in Goodison folklore with the fourth-round replay winner against Liverpool, aided by ITV’s inopportune moment to cut to an advertising break.

But it’s Rodwell who has proven the more consistently impressive, although Moyes admits it was something of a baptism of fire when throwing the Birkdale-born teenager in against Blackburn Rovers on the opening day.

His maturity from the start of the season until now has been really noticeable,” says the Goodison manager. “At the start when he came in he was a little bit starry-eyed and looking a little like a young professional footballer.

“To go from the youth level to a first-team regular in the Premier League is completely different. You have to have the steel, a character to be able to come up against different types of players.

“He can play a lot of roles for us. Sometimes in the Premier League you have to show you can do the dirty work and the hard work before you can show your other qualities. He has undoubted talent, great ability and there is a long future for Jack Rodwell here.”

A mark of Rodwell’s steady development came during the FA Cup fourth round replay defeat of Liverpool, with the youngster dictating the play from central midfield after coming on from the bench for the final hour.

“He showed his maturity and that he was someone who given that extra time and space he can,” recalls Moyes.

“We’ve always tried to find the right route for youngsters and I believe we have done that with Jack. We have brought him on in games and tried to give him as much playing time as we can without putting him right in, making him feel really under pressure that could destroy him.

“Come the end of the season, we are starting to see the young boy mature into a young man. His performance at Fulham on Sunday was excellent and showed his maturity.”

Rodwell has made 25 appearances this season – although more than half have been as substitute – and notched his debut senior goal in the FA Cup fifth round triumph over Aston Villa.

And Moyes would have no qualms in handing the 18-year-old a starting role on Saturday.