David Moyes lauds Everton prodigy and two-goal Euro hero Jack Rodwell

Jack Rodwell announced himself as the outstanding new talent in English football with two astonishing, audacious goals to settle this tie last night.

The 18-year-old became Everton’s youngest-ever goalscorer in Europe when he produced a ferocious left foot drive from 20 yards, to break Sigma hearts just before the interval.

When he repeated the trick with his right foot from 10 yards further out just after the break, his impact reverberated way beyond Goodison and onto the international stage, such was the quality of his finishing.

Manager David Moyes has already suggested Rodwell can become the complete midfielder if his young charge continues the remarkable development he has already shown at the club.

But even Moyes - who is well versed in these things - admitted he did not envisage the impact the teenager would have in a UEFA Cup contest that looks crucial to his side’s season.

“We will bring him on in the right way, but you can see his quality here. He has such composure, he has shown that in international football and European football and that shows his ability,” the Blues boss said.

“I knew he had talent, but what I didn’t know was his ability to score goals like that. He strikes a great ball, but didn’t realise he could rattle the back of the net like that.

“He has a bit to go yet, and we will try to use him as we see fit, but has a great chance. The great thing is, he’s a good character, a good listener, wants to improve, he’s hard-working.”

Rodwell has a touch of class about everything he does, and his goals last night were reminiscent of the effect a young Wayne Rooney had when deceiving David Seaman of all people with a piece of genius to record his first Goodison strike.

Already, the local-born midfielder has appeared on the Manchester United radar, but Moyes, who really does know how to handle and develop young talent, will keep the kid’s feet on the ground.

It will help that Rodwell has the right character, which is why he will modestly point to the importance of Louis Saha in scoring the first and last goal to give his side the result they so desperately craved.

Everton don’t exactly have a knack of making these UEFA qualifying ties easy, as their struggles over the past four years have shown, reaching the knock out stage just once in that time.

But Saha paved the way for an unusually comfortable second leg, by opening the scoring to settle nerves shredded by the weekend result against Arsenal, and reinvigorate hearts saddened by the Joleon Lescott saga.

His goal on 74 minutes to finish things off, when he cut in from the left and rammed home a wicked drive from the edge of the box, makes the away game of this tie a formality, and more importantly, dampens the turmoil that Lescott has generated... for a while at least.

It will offer huge relief to Moyes. He acted decisively and bravely in kicking the unsettled defender from his squad, but he knew it was a decision that could almost destroy Everton’s season, had they struggled against not untalented opponents, who stuck eight past Aberdeen in the last round.

He need not have worried, because with Lescott’s malign influence removed, his side showed they have the character, tenacity and pedigree to not only bounce back from their travails, but actually entertain realistic hopes of winning this competition.

Moyes must take credit for that. His brave decision to play Phil Neville at centre half and jettison Lescott paid dividends as the famous team spirit returned to their play.

Mind you, Sigma could have opened the scoring in the early exchanges, only a fine save from Tim Howard, and then a poor touch when clean through by Michal Hubnik denying them.

Everton though, desperate to atone for their weekend display, could not be denied for long. A fine turn and cross from Marouane Fellaini on the right gave Saha the merest glimpse at the near post, and he took the chance with venom.

Just before the break, Rodwell added a crucial second. He is one of the best prospects to emerge since, well, Rooney, and we got an idea of his ability last night, when he fired a ferocious shot with his weaker left foot past the bewildered Olomouc keeper Petr Drobisz. You have been warned.