Ellis Simms is hoping to use his loan spell with Heart of Midlothian as a way of forcing Everton to make a decision on his future.
Simms, who joined the Scottish club last Wednesday, scored on his first start for Hearts as Motherwell were beaten 2-0 at Tynecastle on Saturday afternoon.
The online Everton forward netted from close-range in the 58th minute to double his side’s lead after Andy Halliday had scored Hearts’ opener in the 37th minute.
Simms has found himself around the Blues' first-team on multiple occasions this season after impressing on loan at Blackpool last season.
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The forward spent the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan with the Seasiders, where he scored 10 goals in 24 appearances to help Neil Critchley's side to promotion to the Championship from League One.
And Simms, who will spend the remainder of the current campaign with Hearts, is hoping he can use his time in Scotland as a way of forcing Everton to make a decision on whether to keep him at the club or to continue to send him out on loan.
He said: “It has been good so far, everything has happened so quickly, coming on against Celtic on my first day here, then starting on Saturday and scoring my first goal. It has been a good start for me.
“You always want to hit the ground running when you come on loan and I feel as they I have done that, and the squad have been excellent with me helping me settle in.
“As a striker you go through games without a goal and you lose confidence, but me scoring on Saturday has just raised my confidence. Hopefully I can get many more.”
Before Simms continued: “When I come on I just want to impress and do as well as I can. Scoring goals, working hard and helping the team.
“I’m sure if I can keep doing that when I go back to Everton it will give them a decision whether they want me to stay or further development and go back out on loan. My main aim is to do well here and see what the future brings."
The forward, who joined the Blues aged 16 having previously spent time at Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers, had previously impressed at under-18 and under-23 level for the club.
That impressive form led to the 21-year-old, who signed a new deal with the club back in November, being handed his Premier League debut by Rafa Benitez in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in December.
Another youngster who has featured regularly in Everton’s first-team so far this season is Anthony Gordon.
The winger sealed a deadline day move to Deepdale last year in a bid to secure the amount of game-time that was unlikely to be on offer at Everton for the rest of the 2020/21 season.
But since returning to the club in the summer, Gordon has been an ever-present for the Blues, and Simms is hoping to follow in his team-mates footsteps.
“Definitely, I can obviously see that there is a pathway there and if you train well and perform well then you stay in the team,” he told Sky Sports.
“Hopefully when I get my chance, I do well and I can stay in the team and hopefully that will happen once I come back from here.”
