Everton are a club that has always placed an emphasis on youth, as they look to give players a chance in the first-team.

Of course, with the way the Premier League is now, it's harder than ever for kids to break through from the academy, but the Toffee's still have plenty of quality coming through the ranks.

Instead of keeping them in the 23s, Everton regularly decide to send players out on loan to get competitive football in the EFL.

That's been the case again this summer, and here we provide updates on how Lewis Gibson and Nathan Broadhead are getting on at Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland respectively...

Lewis Gibson

It has been a very tough start for the 21-year-old at Hillsborough, as fitness issues have meant he was playing catch-up.

As a result, his first appearance for the Owls came in the week, as they beat Mansfield in the Papa John's Trophy. Whilst it was against a League Two side, the early signs are positive though.

Gibson earned plenty of praise for his performance, and particularly his ability to step out from defence to play forward with his left foot.

With only 45 minutes under his belt, there will need to be some patience as he gets fully fit, but he could go on to become an important player in the coming months.

Nathan Broadhead

Another player at a League One side with promotion hopes, Broadhead has had to be patient as he made a few appearances from the bench following his arrival.

A goal in the League Cup win at Wigan in a rare start showed the quality the forward has, and he was then handed a start against Cheltenham. Whilst Broadhead didn't get on the scoresheet, he was instrumental as they picked up a resounding 5-0 win.

Unfortunately, an injury picked up late on means he missed the 4-0 defeat to Portsmouth last time out. But, those contrasting results show the impact the Everton man can have on the team and he will be in Lee Johnson's thoughts when he is available for selection.