Lewis Gibson is still only 19 and was doing very well at Fleetwood pre lockdown.
Holgate also spent some time in the U23 before he got a few loans, the good 1s are generally loaned out, if they have the talent the pathway is there, as we are seeing with DCL, Holgate, Davies and Gordon.
This is another reason Europa is so vital to us as a club.
Not sure the loan system is much use either tbh. I just can't remember a single young player that has come through for us who went out on loan before starting for us. Osman and Barkley are perhaps the nearest, but both had made PL debuts for us before they went out on loan. Davies was straight into the first team, as was Vaughan and Anichebe.
Josh Bowler was one who came to us for a decent fee. Been with us 3 years now and is nowhere, despite being 21. Gibson has been here three years as well. Holgate had made first team appearances in his second season with us. Stones had half a season with us before making his PL debut.
Even with the Europa, giving lads a dead rubber to play in doesn't seem to do much for their development. If you look at the lineup from the Krasnodar game whenever that was - https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spo.../players-evertons-last-europa-league-13931763 - none went on to do anything at all for us.