Everton Academy - Supporting the Football League;

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Micheal Symes, was quite well rated as I remember a couple of years before Rooney came along, he's played for stack of League clubs.

George Pilkington and Keith Southern both played CB for the same academy side. Both retired now, Pilkington racked up 566 career appearances and Southern 376, Southerns a now on the coaching staff.

Mark Hughes narrowly misses out due to making one league appearance as a substitute.
 
There’s the 2 CD s , not quite a double album though !
Courtney Duffus , went off to Oldham for a while then onto Yeovil . Still playing and scoring for them but they’re in the National League now so not 100 games yet. I’m sure I read he had a semi- famous girlfriend, can’t remember who though.

Callum Dyson moved onto Plymouth and didn’t make 100 games before an ankle injury ended his career.
 
Ryan Ledson - big name for us and England at 16 but for whatever reason never developed into a premier league player, currently at preston. still young so can maybe go the lundstram route
I was thinking of Ledson the other week and musing that he was mature ahead of his time, captain of England u17s, captain of many age teams, dictating play and tempo of games, maybe standing out as a leader of others who were less mature. As others caught up with him in maturity his playing skills in comparison became just average.
Just a theory and I hope I’m wrong because it was Ryan Astley who prompted the thoughts and I was wondering if he was going the same way I.e. someone who captained his country and other teams throughout the age groups, a maturity that stood out compared to youngsters around him but not progressing as fast as I expected as he’s grown older. But he’s only 18 so hope I’m wrong.
 
There’s the 2 CD s , not quite a double album though !
Courtney Duffus , went off to Oldham for a while then onto Yeovil . Still playing and scoring for them but they’re in the National League now so not 100 games yet. I’m sure I read he had a semi- famous girlfriend, can’t remember who though.

Callum Dyson moved onto Plymouth and didn’t make 100 games before an ankle injury ended his career.

...Dufus and Heather Watson are an item I think.
 

Micheal Symes, was quite well rated as I remember a couple of years before Rooney came along, he's played for stack of League clubs.

George Pilkington and Keith Southern both played CB for the same academy side. Both retired now, Pilkington racked up 566 career appearances and Southern 376, Southerns a now on the coaching staff.

Mark Hughes narrowly misses out due to making one league appearance as a substitute.

...very good stuff, Bud. I remember Pilkington and Southern very well from their Academy days. I vaguely recall Keith Southern’s brother was a CB in our Academy, but might have that wrong.
 
Adam Forshaw.... played one game for us against BATE.

Has since had decent spells at Brentford, Wigan, Forrest and Leeds.
 
...ha, ha, working that out, you’re footballing loves are Everton and Fortuna Sittard?

I remember Farrington. A Liverpool lad, he played for us in the FA Youth Cup Final and joined Norwich soon after. I have it in mind that the Youth Cup Final was against Norwich but I might have that wrong.
I think you are right there Eggs, it was Norwich, and Jimmy ( Buddy ) Cole played in that game, might have been captain.
 

Following on from the analysis of youngsters breaking into the Everton first team, lots of names were proposed of lads who didn’t make a full appearance for The Toffees but had lengthy careers elsewhere.

I’ll often watch a game from the lower leagues and notice an ex-Academy player, or see a goalscorer on the ‘teleprinter’ who once played for us at youth level. Everton is a club that supports the game at all levels, so perhaps we can give a shout to those youngsters that once represented us at Youth Level. Qualifying criteria;

1) Full time (not a schoolboy) at Everton: apprentice, YTS, young professional etc. Not bought or on loan (such as Dier or Mustafi).
2) Never played a league game for Everton.
3) Played 100 league games since leaving us, unless currently playing and building to that total.

A few from me;

John Doolan (as suggested by @Cameron Manning). Left Everton in 1994 and played plenty at clubs like Mansfield and Barnsley. Recently a coach at Everton.

Sean O’Hanlon. Left Everton in 2004 and played over 400 league games at MK Dons and Swindon amongst others.

Steven Schumacher. Left Everton 2004, now assistant manager at Plymouth played over 400 league games for clubs including Bradford and Bury.

Carl Regan. A key member of an Everton FA Youth Cup winning team, he left the club in 2000 and played plenty of league games for Bristol Rovers and MK Dons.

Hope Akpan. Currently at Bradford City, Akpan left the Toffees in 2011 and has 4 international caps for Nigeria.

Liam Walsh. A favourite of many on here, he left us in 2018 and is attracting interest from many for his recent performances at high-flying Coventry City.

Antonee Robinson. A regular for Wigan since leaving us in 2019 and a full US International.

John Lundstram. Left Everton in 2015 without a first team appearance, not many turn out to be regular top flight players but he‘s doing terrific at Sheffield United.

David Esser. Doubt many will have heard of him but an old foe of mine. England Schoolby from Stockport who left us in 1977 after an apprenticeship and went on to play many games for Rochdale.
Did Carl Regan have a brother who played in that FA youth cup winning team, one was a wing half and one was a full back, not sure if they both went on to play league football elsewhere.
 
Karl Sheppard

Returned to Ireland in 2010 after failing to break into the first team.sqaud and had a very successful time with a number of clubs including a title winning Cork City. Played a handful of ganes for Reading and Accrington between stints at Irish clubs.
 

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