Everton’s recruitment has certainly been called into question over recent months, but the struggles would have all been forgotten during Thursday night’s Carabao Cup win over Newcastle United.

Such a result has allowed the Toffees to reach the quarter-final of the competition and set up a clash with League Two side Fleetwood Town in mid-December.

As a result, David Moyes’ men are now one step closer to ending their 31-year wait for a piece of silverware - an unthinkable period given the sheer size of the club.

The efforts of one player were vital to the 3-1 triumph on Merseyside, with Angus Kinnear conducting excellent business to sign the player during the recent summer window.

Why Hackney should become a regular starter for Everton

After his summer move from Middlesbrough, many Everton supporters were excited about the prospect of Hayden Hackney being a regular starter in the 2026/27 campaign.

However, he’s only made one league start since his subsequent transfer, with the vast majority of his action coming in competitions such as the Carabao Cup.

The 24-year-old did start the triumph over Newcastle earlier this week and it’s safe to say such a decision will have handed boss Moyes a huge selection headache.

The midfielder managed to net his first goal for the Toffees during such a meeting, whilst even laying on the assist for James Garner’s opener at the Hill Dickinson.

His underlying stats from the aforementioned encounter further highlight his quality, with the Englishman undoubtedly a key factor in the club’s victory.

Hackney managed to complete 100% of the dribbles attempted, whilst making six passes into the final third - highlighting his remarkable efforts with the ball at his feet.

Even without the ball, the former Boro star managed to make two blocks and two ball recoveries - which limited the opposition to limited chances at the Hill Dickinson.

Why Everton star is becoming Kinnear's best signing

Everton’s squad depth has been called into question over the last couple of months, but the impressive quality in Moyes’ squad was fully evident during the recent cup triumph.

He did make two changes for the clash with Matthias Jaissle’s men, with Hackney one of the players to benefit from his decision to hand some squad members the chance to impress.

The aforementioned stats produced by the Englishman were evidence that he took the opportunity with both hands and is now knocking on the door for a regular starting role.

He’s not the only talent to be handed a platform to impress over recent weeks, with winger Tyrique George benefiting from two starts in the space of a week for the Toffees.

The attacker, who joined from Chelsea for £18m this summer, started the clash against Arsenal and, despite being on the wrong end of the scoreline, managed to catch the eye.

The 20-year-old managed to create two chances against the defending champions, whilst also completing two successful dribbles - with both the highest of any player in Moyes’ squad.

As a result, the youngster was rewarded with another start against Newcastle on Thursday and once again took full advantage of the chance handed his way.

George attempted five dribbles during his 76-minute showing and was often the player to get supporters off their seats with his constant direct attacking nature.

He also completed 83% of his passes, with five of his efforts going into the final third - showcasing his ability to pick out those ahead of him at the Hill Dickinson.

Such a quality has been a welcome sight for the supporters in recent times, as frustrations have been building about Jack Grealish’s lack of directness off the left-hand side.

Given his recent performances, it’s vital that Noyes continues to put faith in the attacker to deliver the goods, with the sky truly being the limit for the talented youngster.

The £18m deal conducted by Kinnear during the summer window is already starting to look like a phenomenal deal and one which could be a bargain in the Toffees’ hunt for silverware.