Everton Youth Teams Thread

[Ring master]

Everton Under-18s midfielder Jenson Metcalfe has signed a first professional contract with the Club until the end of June 2024.

Metcalfe celebrated his 17th birthday on Monday and has been rewarded with a new deal having made impressive strides over the past 12 months.

The teenager broke into the Everton Under-18s side at the start of 2021 and has remained a regular in boss Paul Tait’s team.

Metcalfe, who joined Everton at Under-5 level, is a technically-gifted central midfield player with a wide range of passing and eye for goal.

He made his Under-23s debut in April this year, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 Premier League 2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

 

[Neiler]

Any news on Tyler Onyango hoping his recovery is going well.

 

[BornBlue76]

I reckon kids are looking increasingly at the likes of Jordan Sancho and Jude Bellingham and thinking.. yeah I’ll have a bit of that. Fast track my career by moving on.

The days of signing on to your lifelong club are long gone.

 

[stretford blue]

Everton Under-18s midfielder Jenson Metcalfe has signed a first professional contract with the Club until the end of June 2024.

Metcalfe celebrated his 17th birthday on Monday and has been rewarded with a new deal having made impressive strides over the past 12 months.

The teenager broke into the Everton Under-18s side at the start of 2021 and has remained a regular in boss Paul Tait’s team.

Metcalfe, who joined Everton at Under-5 level, is a technically-gifted central midfield player with a wide range of passing and eye for goal.

He made his Under-23s debut in April this year, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 Premier League 2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

I have liked what I've seen just looks a player seems very comfortable on the ball

 

[Terrarian]

Most of the blame lies at managers feet. Some are genuinely good enough but pressure on managers for results mean a lot of them stick with experience no matter how shockingly bad said experience is. Sometimes kids need games, it's the only way to get to where they want to be but a lot of Premier League clubs aren't brave enough and lose a lot of talent.

 

[BornBlue76]

Most of the blame lies at managers feet. Some are genuinely good enough but pressure on managers for results mean a lot of them stick with experience no matter how shockingly bad said experience is. Sometimes kids need games, it's the only way to get to where they want to be but a lot of Premier League clubs aren't brave enough and lose a lot of talent.

Aligned to this 100%

 

[Nymzee]

Most of the blame lies at managers feet. Some are genuinely good enough but pressure on managers for results mean a lot of them stick with experience no matter how shockingly bad said experience is. Sometimes kids need games, it's the only way to get to where they want to be but a lot of Premier League clubs aren't brave enough and lose a lot of talent.

None of our kids were/are genuinely good enough for the PL though.

 

[mightymoyes]

Most of the blame lies at managers feet. Some are genuinely good enough but pressure on managers for results mean a lot of them stick with experience no matter how shockingly bad said experience is. Sometimes kids need games, it's the only way to get to where they want to be but a lot of Premier League clubs aren't brave enough and lose a lot of talent.

its up to the clubs the way they are run, look at utd, they've had plenty of managers recently but have had an academy product in 1st team squad for every league game now for about 100 years in a row or something ridiculous.

 

[Terrarian]

None of our kids were/are genuinely good enough for the PL though.

maybe not at the moment but it's a response to why a lot of youngsters are suddenly thinking of going to Germany or stepping down a division or two for games. The cream should always rise to the top but some slip the net when they aren't being given chances.

 

[Terrarian]

its up to the clubs the way they are run, look at utd, they've had plenty of managers recently but have had an academy product in 1st team squad now for about 100 years in a row or something ridiculous.

Yes but Utd being very successful and with a squad in the upper echelons of the game, it is easier too blood youngsters, it doesn't always mean we aren't producing them just it's harder to get them chances due to managers not being brave enough.

 

[mightymoyes]

Yes but Utd being very successful and with a squad in the upper echelons of the game, it is easier too blood youngsters, it doesn't always mean we aren't producing them just it's harder to get them chances due to managers not being brave enough.

but they've been crap over that time period too and only allowed like 12 players in squads, but its part of the club and they make a conscious effort to do it.

 

[Nymzee]

maybe not at the moment but it's a response to why a lot of youngsters are suddenly thinking of going to Germany or stepping down a division or two for games. The cream should always rise to the top but some slip the net when they aren't being given chances.

Yeh at other clubs but at ours they simply aren't good enough.

 

[Terrarian]

Yeh at other clubs but at ours they simply aren't good enough.

I'm just thinking of the likes of Small and this young dude ripping up Ligue 1 at the moment, conscious decisions to move on for gametime. I do agree we don't produce as much as we would like though which costs more in transfer fees at the end of the day.

 

[Nymzee]

I'm just thinking of the likes of Small and this young dude ripping up Ligue 1 at the moment, conscious decisions to move on for gametime. I do agree we don't produce as much as we would like though which costs more in transfer fees at the end of the day.

I mean Small couldn't see himself getting past Nkounkou and Digne (funny how that turned out with the loan though) which is fine but he's still not PL level. Heck he didn't even light up the U23's.

 

[Terrarian]

I mean Small couldn't see himself getting past Nkounkou and Digne (funny how that turned out with the loan though) which is fine but he's still not PL level. Heck he didn't even light up the U23's.

Fair enough if he isn't good enough but he's highly rated enough to think there is something there and he knew he was only 3rd choice, or was as you alluded too. He didn't see a path to first team football and chose too move on, I think they are better off doing that than staying at the u23's until they're 23 like