Sean McAllister 46

 

Everton signed midfielder Sean McAllister from Northern Irish club Dungannon Swifts as a 16-year-old in July 2019. McAllister did well enough with the Everton Academy Under-18s to earn a 2-year professional contract at Goodison Park in July 2020 and is looking to make the step up to David Unsworth's Under-23s side.

McAllister had been with Dungannon Swifts since he was 13 and their head of youth development, Dixie Robinson, believes Everton have landed themselves a talent who can go 'the whole way'.

McAllister was part of an age-group at Swifts that had five players involved in the Northern Ireland 2018 Victory Shield tournament win over England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. It was only the second time in the history of Northern Ireland they had lifted the Under-16 title and that was part of the history behind McAllister earning  his move to Everton.

"You knew Sean always had a chance because he always was a great athlete," Robinson told the Liverpool Echo in August 2020. "You always knew if he kept working hard he had every opportunity.

"Celtic were interested at the same time as Everton and he spoke to both clubs but decided on Everton."

McAllister almost jeopardised his own move to Everton after both scoring and breaking his leg in his final game for Swifts as they lifted the Mid Ulster Youth Cup.

Robinson said, "We had reached the final but Sean had agreed to join Everton.  I was cautious about it so left it up to Sean himself and he was in no doubt he wanted to play.  Sean went for a ball with the goalkeeper and, being as brave as he is, got there first but picked up a bad injury.

"He went to the hospital and arrived back in a cast for the photographs. It just showed his willingness to play for his team-mates but I was sick for weeks afterwards until Everton got their own medical people to look at things. Everything healed 100 per cent so thankfully it had no impact on his opportunity."

McAllister has been pushed back into midfield during his time with Paul Tait's Under-18s despite being utilised further forward by Dungannon. Robinson reckons his work-rate and attitude perfectly complement his natural ability to offer a real chance of success in the Premier League.

"He's strong, quick and very brave and does a lot of work off the ball. He doesn't give defenders time on the ball. He's very versatile, has plenty of pace and was always a great listener who took things on board very well," he said. "He has very good game understanding so we have lots of high hopes for him. I know it is difficult, the numbers tell you how tough it is to make the grade but, if it is anything to do with the ability to listen and learn, Sean will definitely be right up there.

"I have no doubt he has all the attributes to go the whole way and I hope in the next 18 months he is pushed on. It would be fantastic to see him challenging to get an opportunity in first-team football at Everton."

McAllister describes himself as the type of midfielder Everton supporters love. “I feel privileged to captain this team; to be at the club for just over a year, going into my second season, wearing that armband feels like a very good achievement.

“The manager said that he sees me as a leader on the pitch, and that I can keep the boys going until the end. I’ve always had that determination, ever since I was a kid - always wanting to win and do the best for my team. I think that attitude - never, ever giving up and always giving my all - is one of my main strengths.”

McAllister was the team captain and star player in the 2020-21 season for the Under-18s, leading in appearances and scoring 8 in a season that would see him move up to start playing for the Under-23s in their last couple of games. 

He went on to have a mixed season in 2021-22 with his game time limited, presumably with injuries preventing his full involvement in the Under-23 squad. He did not play any part in 16 of the 35 games played across all competitions. But he showed some good skills with an eye for goal when things were going his way.

The new Director of Football liked what he saw, however, giving McAllister a 1-year contract extension in July 2022.

A well-rounded midfielder who can play a number of different roles, McAllister became a mainstay in the newly branded Under-21s until he picked up an injury that would keep him sidelined for 3½ months, during which he missed 18 games before returning to the starting lineup, and getting the captain's armband on occasions. In April, his contract was extended by an additional year to the end of June 2024.

FactFile

Squad number	46
Position	Midfielder
Nationality	Northern Ireland
Born	Dungannon
Date of birth	1 January 2003
Height	6'-0" (1.80 m)

Joined	January 2017
Joined from	Everton Academy
Signed under	Ronald Koeman
Transfer fee	No Fee
Contract duration	1 + 2 + 1 + 1 years
Contract expires	June 2024
Full debut	Under-23s only

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