The future is looking bright at Goodison thanks to Academy production line
Everton stars Ryan Ledson, left, and Jonjoe Kenny helped England Under 17s to glory at the European Championships
It could have been the iconic image of the sporting summer.
An England football captain, smile lighting up the sky, lifting the trophy high above his head, after his side had secured their triumph by holding their nerve when it mattered, in the most tense of penalty shootouts.
Of course, the World Cup didn’t quite pan out that way.
But a month before the senior side’s capitulation in Brazil, England’s U17 side had shown that glory is no alien concept, as they romped to glory at the European Championships in Malta.
And typically, their success would contain more than a hint of Everton influence.
John Peacock’s side was captained by Ryan Ledson, the young Blues midfielder, while team-mate Jonjoe Kenny also featured.
Both netted in the final shootout against the Netherlands, with Kenny’s penalty sealing the trophy.
Another feather, then, in the cap of Everton’s Academy, which continues to produce footballers of quality and character.
The tireless work of the likes of Ray Hall, Danny Philpott, Martin Waldron and Ian Lavery, who spot and recruit players at a young age, and coaches such as Sean Lundon, Kevin O’Brien and John McKeown, who nurture them through their formative footballing years, should never be underestimated.
The hope now, is that the talent can begin to filter through into the first team.
The omens are good. Everton’s U18 side were Premier League winners last season, Kevin Sheedy’s side beating free-spending Manchester City in a nail-biting final at Goodison in May, despite the absence of Ledson and Kenny, who were both away with England.
Already, the majority of that U18 side have been tied down to professional deals, with no fewer than seven, including Kenny, putting pen to paper during the close-season.
Ledson, unsurprisingly, is considered the brightest prospect.
The 16-year-old, who has been at Everton since the age of five, was twice named as a substitute for Roberto Martinez’s first-team last season.
Had he emerged from the bench against either Southampton or Manchester City, he would have become the second-youngest player in the club's history.
“He has done really well, and deserved the opportunity to be in the first-team squad,” said Martinez.
“He is a young man with a very bright future, and a player destined to be part of the School of Science.”
An aggressive, ball-playing central midfielder, Ledson lists tackling and passing as his key strengths, and has drawn comparisons with Frank Lampard after his performances at U18 and U21 level.
He is two-footed, has a good passing range, and regularly holds his own physically against players four or five years older.
Check out the YouTube clip of one of his tackles in last season’s mini-derby with Liverpool for evidence.
Expect to see plenty more of him before too long.
Kirkdale-born Kenny, meanwhile, is a versatile, tough-tackling defender, who can also fill in in midfield. A regular for his country, where he has 10 caps at U17 level, the 17-year-old impressed at the European Championships, and is expected to develop into a highly-competent right back over the next few years.
Additionally, there are high hopes that goalkeeper Russell Griffiths, outstanding at U18 level, can make the grade, while midfielder Harry Charsley, who scored the winner in the Premier League final, is another who is impressing. Both are already regulars at U21 level.
As, too, is attacking midfielder George Green, who arrived with a big reputation from Bradford City as a 15-year-old three years ago, and who has made steady, if unspectacular, progress since.
Others, meanwhile, have been busy playing for their Goodison futures this summer.
The likes of Luke Garbutt (21), Conor McAleny (21), John Lundstram (20), Tyias Browning (20).
Matthew Kennedy (19) and Chris Long (19) have all gained Football League experience over the past 12 months.
All will be hoping to convince Martinez they have what it takes to nail down a first-team squad place. The manager, for his part, has liked what he has seen in pre-season.
Of that group Garbutt, an England U21 international who made his senior Blues debut against Southampton in April, looks to have the strongest credentials.
A composed, progressive left-back, the Yorkshireman has impressed in spells with both Cheltenham and Colchester in recent seasons, and could finally be ready to step up as understudy to Leighton Baines this term.
Of course the path from youth to senior level is rarely straightforward, and Everton’s coaching staff are understandably keen to avoid speaking at length about individuals’ prospects.
It’s hard to blame them.
After all, even Ross Barkley, the jewel in the crown, took time to find his feet after initially bursting onto the scene in 2011.
There are many pitfalls on the way to the top in the Premier League.
But with Martinez having shown a willingness to trust in young players, and with the club’s youth sides mirroring the first team in terms of style and philosophy, the transition should, theoretically, be a little smoother.
Young guns in profile
