'At the very least' - Ian Evatt makes prediction as he shares praise for young Blackpool FC pair

A couple of Blackpool youngsters caught the eye in the club’s first pre-season friendly of the summer away to AFC Fylde.

The Seasiders named two different XIs for each half of Saturday’s game at Mill Farm, as they claimed a 3-2 victory over the National League North champions.

Oluchukwu Nwankwo took on the central role in the back three for the opening 45 minutes, and conducted himself well as the only starting teenager in a predominately senior side.

Following George Honeyman’s early exit due to injury, Theo Upton was also added into this mix before the break, before retaining his place in midfield when the other changes came for the second half.

The 18-year-old has enjoyed plenty of exposure to the first-team over the last few years, featuring five times for the senior side since his debut in 2024.

Alongside this, he also spent time on loan with Matlock Town last season, while Nwankwo headed out to Bamber Bridge - with both stints proving beneficial.

Head coach Ian Evatt was pleased by the performances of the young pair against Fylde, and is pleased to have them around his squad at the moment.

“For me, Theo (Upton) and Oluchi (Nwankwo) in particular have a bright future,” he said.

“Young George (Elder) in the second half was positive as well, but those two for me should be playing at this level at the very least - you could see they were very comfortable at it.

“We always try to make the right decisions for their development. At the moment, it’s the right decision to keep them around us, and educate them on how we want to do things.

“We can be selective with the loans for them guys in particular as I think they’re very bright prospects.”