A clutch of promising kids have been promoted from the club's under-19 side to the first team squad, although they'll spend most of the season playing reserve team football to gain experience.

But Evans has no doubts the likes of Darren McCormack, Jordan Cropley, Jack Wilson, Blair Tolmie and even 17-year-old Callum Booth can catch Paatelainen's eye the way Hanlon did last season, the young full-back now very much part of the manager's plans.

Speaking after watching Hibs' reserve side crush Falkirk 3-0 at Almondvale, the former Easter Road striker said: "We only had three players over the age of 21 out there which shows how young the squad is and for young guys like them to turn in that performance delighted me."

And Evans admitted he'll gladly sacrifice wins over the coming months in return for seeing some of his young charges follow in the footsteps of Hanlon, just the latest product of the legendary Easter Road youth system which in the past has supplied players of the calibre of Kenny Miller, Garry O'Connor, Derek Riordan, Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson among others.

He said: "Obviously I'd like to win matches, football is all about winning but not to the detriment of our young players who we want to see progress. We have a lot of young players who have moved up from Under-19s but they played a lot of reserve-team football last season in any case.

"Without doubt you can see the difference in physique. For example, there was on instance last year when we put out a 17-year-old and asked him to mark Bobo Balde at corner kicks.

"But that's the only way to learn and realise that they can play at this level, and that they are able to go out and compete. It gives them the right mentality for when they go back to training that they can compete and that's what we are trying to do."

While Evans believes Hanlon's rapid promotion under Paatelainen, he virtually by-passed under-19 level, can act as a massive incentive to other youngsters, he pointed out that at 20, both Ross Campbell and Ross Chisholm were also part of yesterday's side at Almondvale.

He said: "What's happened to Paul over the course of the past six months must have a tremendous effect on other young players, they'll see what he has done and will have the exact same aspirations."

Also included in the team which so comprehensively outplayed the Bairns was 19-year-old Darren McCormack, who has already played for the first team and only last week was called into the Scotland Under-21 squad for the vital European Championship qualifying match in Lithuania.

Although McCormack has been overlooked for next Thursday's clash with Slovenia at the Falkirk Stadium, Campbell, Lewis Stevenson and Steven Fletcher were all named by Billy Stark, proof again, insisted Evans that despite the well-publicised departures of a previous generation, Hibs continue to churn out their own home-grown talent.

And he has no doubts Hibs fans will soon begin to become more familiar with more of the youngsters under the charge of himself and youth academy coach Alistair Stevenson.

He said: "Obviously I'm very hopeful that a number of them will begin to push for first-team action and, if they keep up the sort of performance they produced against Falkirk, then I do not see why they cannot do it."

Two goals from Ross Campbell which sandwiched a strike by Fabian Yantorno as he continues his fight for full fitness, put paid to Falkirk although Hibs could easily have scored twice as many, Steve Pinau hitting the post while Bairns goalkeeper Scott Flinders denied not only the French striker but Campbell, Cropley and substitute Kurtis Byrne. In addition Cropley, son of Hibs legend Alex, clipped the bar while Easter Road goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay, on his return from the Olympics where Belgium ended up in fourth place, was troubled only once, going down late in the match to prevent Craig McLeish claiming a consolation goal for the Bairns.

Evans said: "It was important for Fabian to get another 90 minutes, every game gets him back towards the Yantorno of old while a full match for Steve, even although he'd played part of the game against Morton the previous night, will also help get him fully sharp."

Hibs: Ma-Kalambay, Gathuessi, Canning, McCormack, Booth, Wilson (Byrne 74), Yantorno, Chisholm, Cropley, Campbell, Pinau. Subs not used: Flynn, Moyes, Deane, Park.

Falkirk: Flinders, Gibb, McCaffrey, Staunton, Stallard, Murdoch (B Young 55), Lang (Sproule 60), Sludden (McLean 55), A Young, McLeish. Sub not used: Andrews.