Roberto Martinez praises "reliable" Everton youth

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has praised the reliability and quality of the younger stars in his side ahead of the clash with Crystal Palace on Monday night.

The Toffees sit 10th in the Premier League table and are unbeaten in six in all competitions, and much of their recent success has been built on the form of players such as Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu.

Deulofeu has lauded the squad's mix of youth and experience, but Martinez reserved special praise for the club's younger contingent and said that players such as the Spaniard and Lukaku have already proven themselves at Premier League level.

"We see a young player in a good moment and we make them superstars," Martinez told Sky Sports News. "In our case we have been very cautious and we have just made young players with important roles in our team. You are talking about young players who know their role and are ready to cope with anything which comes their way.

"We do not treat them by age, we treat them by what they do and they have always been at the front of our thoughts as it is a way in which you can reach a level that probably you cannot achieve with money.

"Barkley, Lukaku, Deulofeu, Stones - they are not just young players who have appeared on the scene and had a good game here or there, they have been very consistent for the last two seasons. Those are important players. They are effective and give you reliable performances in your team."

Everton host Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Monday night.