Everton Youth Round-up | Baines replacement, player futures to get decided
Today at 12:27 PM
Leading U21s goalscorer departs for fresh League start, others to follow with contracts set to expire?
The New Year for the Everton youth teams has gotten off to a slow start with a prolonged Christmas break and postponements. The changes at this level have already started to filter through though as, at management level, Leighton Baines has achieved a well-earned promotion to work with new manager David Moyes. Presumably, though it is yet to be announced, Kieran Driscoll (Baines' former assistant) will step up to be the Under 18s head coach.
At playing level, Under 21s leading marksman Charlie Whitaker,with 8 goals but in the last 6 months of his Blues contract, signed a permanent deal for Nottingham Forest's neighbours League 2 Notts County on Monday. With Whitaker gone, the main onus of scoring goals will fall to Omari Benjamin.
At Under 21 level, we have seen Tyler Onyango returning, albeit he is suffering from a hamstring issue sustained whilst on loan at Stockport County. Also, nearing fitness to play again are Stanley Mills, Coby Ebere and Kingsford Boakye. All will be looking to kick on, Boakye pictured below in training with Ebere and Luke Butterfield and Joshua Van Schoor also in the action.
As with previous years, there are further decisions to be made as many players at Under 21 level are out of contract in 5 months' time. The club, with the transfer window open for almost another 3 weeks, will shortly decide:
a) if they should see their contracts extended and be sent on development loans with a view to pursuing their career with Everton next season
b) if they should be released (freed) now to help them get fixed up rather than get lost in the melee of released players in June
c) if they should stay, extend their contracts and continue to learn at Finch Farm with a view to getting game time, possibly a loan next season
The huge list of young players out of contract at the time of writing include some names who have appeared fleetingly on the first team bench or in first team training this season namely:
Zan-Luk Leban (goalkeeper) and midfielders Tyler Onyango, Luke Butterfield, Callum Bates, Owen Barker and Isaac Heath.
In addition the following players are due to be out of contract:
Fraser Barnsley (goalkeeper), defenders Jack Butler and Jack Tierney, midfielders Matthew Apter and Harvey Foster, forwards Stan Mills and Coby Ebere as well as returning loanees, midfielder Jenson Metcalfe and forward Francis Okoronkwo.
I'm not sure there has ever been as many as 15 players in that position before. If you add that to the 12 senior players in the first team squad in the same position, that's a massive churn of personnel potentially!
With the aims of The Friedkin Group to develop first team players from the Academy, there may be first team squad chances for players at a much earlier age than we have seen in recent years. It hasn't done Harrison Armstrong any harm obviously as he has taken to senior football so well?
On the playing front, the Under 21s have not played for 4 weeks since December 16th but play this Friday at Leeds United.
As for the Under 18s, their two results since their fantastic 7-0 FA Youth Cup win, have seen a 2-1 December win against Nottingham Forest (Kean Wren and Joel Catesby on target) and a 1-4 reverse against Manchester City (George Morgan was our scorer) most recently. The exciting Under 18s team go into the 4th round of the FA Youth Cup against Wolves next Tuesday though it will be interesting to see if hat-trick hero Harrison Armstrong features! If it's anything to go by, David Moyes did not allow Wayne Rooney to play in the FA Youth Cup after he'd made the breakthrough to the first team almost 23 years ago!
A final word for Whitaker as I've long been a big fan of his. He's one that might just be out to prove the club wrong. After enduring a 15 month rehabilitation from serious injury, he has clearly fully recovered and I'm sure there'll be plenty looking out for his progress. He can assist and score goals for sure. Good luck Charlie!
