Roberto Martinez has hailed Seamus Coleman but insists the best is yet to come.
He said: “He is a pristine young man whose best years are still to come. He has an incredible ability going forward and he works hard at his game. “Clearly he hasn’t fulfilled his potential yet. He is still a young man but it is getting to a point now where he is very, very mature. With the Republic of Ireland the other day, having the armband for 10 or 15 minutes shows you exactly what the manager (Giovanni Trapattoni) thinks of him.”
Coleman himself said he was delighted to get his name on the scoresheet against Norwich, having only found the net once in the whole of last season.
“The gaffer told me after the first half to get a bit more forward in the second,” he said. “I think the keeper made a save and thankfully it broke to me. I just made sure I kept my head down and ensured it went in. “I am delighted to score because it has been a while!”
Meanwhile, midfielder Barkley revealed he was caught out by his first ever senior goal – as he had no celebration planned.
The 19-year-old said: “I ran to the crowd and everyone was celebrating and going mad. I hadn’t even thought about a celebration.”
“I am buzzing to have scored my first goal for Everton. “Before the game John Stones was saying he thought I was going to score today! I have scored a few with my left foot when I was younger so I’m not afraid to hit them with my left.”