On the face of things, there might not have been much to take from Everton's under-23s making their return to action on Monday evening. They were beaten 2-0 by Blackburn Rovers at Southport with goals in either half confirming what was a comfortable victory for the visitors.
Realistically, David Unsworth's side deserved to get beat. Playing in a 5-3-2 formation which has served them well on multiple occasions this term, they weren't able to play through the lines as effectively as they might have liked despite a few notable performances - from Sean McAllister, Rhys Hughes and Stanley Mills in particular.
But it was the return of Charlie Whitaker from injury that might have captured the select fans in attendance, with a stream of the match not being available to due a senior Premier League match overlapping the fixture. The midfielder got 70 minutes, making his first appearance since the beginning of January.
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He was injured in a 3-1 Premier League Cup victory over Sheffield United earlier this year, having been impeded in the build-up to the Blades' only goal of the game. Initially assessed as potentially being out for "a couple of weeks", it proved to be three months later that the youngster would actually make his return.
His previous 11 appearances in the league for the U23s had yielded five goals, making a good few supporters who regularly kept in touch with academy talents sit up and take notice. This, of course, followed quite the summer for the youngster.
He was included in the travelling squad for the Florida Cup in pre-season, and even got onto the pitch for his first senior minutes against Pumas in the second match of the competition. A few months previously, he'd made the step up from the under-18s to the U23s at the young age of 17, and bagged five goals at that level in four starts.
Already he was catching the eye. He was versatile in playing across the front line and in midfield, he had the kind of skills that made a lot of onlookers very excited.
Unsworth himself said: "I've watched Charlie for a number of years and we always knew he had the quality in flashes. He has played out wide, he has played up-front....but we have tried to play him as a second striker, not a number 10, a second-striker, because his game is naturally dropping into spaces where you want a number 10.
"We have tried to get someone up there with him and he has been sensational. He is a great trainer, great to work with and a great lad."
In front of the watching eyes of new director of football Kevin Thelwell on Monday evening, it was clear it would take Whitaker some time to get back into the true swing of things. For any player who'd been out of action for such a long time, it would have been exactly the same.
The whole side generally struggled in terms of keeping possession and pressing their opponents in the right areas, which certainly didn't help the returning youngster. He was left a little isolated at times when up front with Tom Cannon to start the match, and couldn't impose himself properly when moved back into midfield at half time before being taken off.
In many respects, though, the intricacies of his performance weren't really the big factors of Monday night. Getting back on the pitch was the main thing after what has proven to be an extensive period on the sidelines.
But perhaps the situation of those who have been around him in the under-23 squad will represent a certain amount of hope for the future. Rafael Benitez might have been the man to have brought him into the senior setup for the first time, even including him in the squad for a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in October, but Frank Lampard has also proven himself very open to giving academy talents the chances they deserve.
Isaac Price and Lewis Dobbin were both included in the Everton squad as the side faced West Ham United on Sunday. The senior boss spoke very highly of both before the match, making clear that they earned their places through their impressive attitudes and qualities in training sessions.
Reece Welch and Tyler Onyango have both also been regularly involved in first-team sessions in the past. Unfortunately, both missed the U23s most recent match through injury, with the latter particularly recovering from a hernia issue.
The fact is that under-23s stars continue to be a regular fixture as Everton's senior side prepare for Premier League matches. Whether they get their chances in games is another thing entirely, and maybe it would be a little different if the club weren't embroiled in a difficult relegation battle.
Lampard recently said : "I love to work with the young players. They bring a new found energy to training, they come in with good respect, you can see that they've been well coached and managed by our academy and their families - because they're all coming in with a good attitude and keeping their level high.
"It's been pleasing. If they show enough and if the time comes, they'll get their chance."
For Whitaker, that still might be a way away after making his return from injury. It's clear he has a lot of progression to make in terms of his fitness and match sharpness, which he can achieve with the youth set-up.
But someone who has proven so exciting in the recent past can surely prove the same in the future if the right circumstances are presented. Perhaps he took the first step on an interesting road in Monday night's match, under the radar from many.
