Professional contract for Kyle John

At least he gets a mention... unlike Chris Renshaw, Boris Mathis, Shane Lavery, Nicolas Hansen... some of the Mystery Men of the Everton Academy who seem to have slipped off the radar this season.

Edit: research shows he's not. He came back from Northampton a flop. He's 21 and slipped down the pecking order. Another of Walsh's flops.

Josh Bowler looks a talent, but I can't see him making it now as he just turned 20 (today) and he's nowhere near the first team. I think QPR were right in that he'd be further along now, had he stayed put.

But looks like we did miss the fact that Shane Lavery went on loan to Falkirk near the beginning of the window in January. How embarrassing!

And I thought I read somewhere that Hansen had left the club...

He's made I think one sub appearance for around 10 minutes. And contributed nothing in those 10 minutes.

Sad to say, I don't think it's going to happen for him at Everton.

I'd never hope for any of these academy players to not succeed, but there's a large group of players that have been involved in the first team at some stage that haven't or won't make an impact at this club. It's unfortunate, but it's the way it is.

Hopefully this lad Kyle John will do something. Coleman is at the end of his career, and Kenny, if he's to take his chance, will need back-up/competition.

He is now back in training.

Garbutt signed a big contract because he was out of contract and Liverpool were keen on him. Can't get rid of him as he'd never get a contract as good again.

Galloway is similar to Garbutt, just waiting for his contract to expire.

Charsley went on loan somewhere either the back end of last season, or this season. Played once, got dropped. Unsworth has given him lots of credit in the past for his versatility, but he won't make it.

Bowler, Markelo and Broadhead have had a lot of praise from Unsworth, surely only have a year or two to get close to the first team as they are all 20 I think.

Kyle John and Ryan Astley have both broke into the U23s this year, despite both being eligible for U18s (I think). They could both have a future.

Feeney, Adeniran and Hornby are all very highly rated; however, the first two have a lot of competition in front of them.

Sambou – I don't think he will make it. If he was going to, he'd at least have been mentioned this season when we can't score. And he is older than Hornby, I think.

Josh Bowler has had a stuttering Everton career, is nowhere near the first team, and would surely have been better staying at QPR as he'd be their best player by now, playing week-in & week-out in the Championship.

Nathangelo Markelo is a Dutch kid, and the fact that he's in a foreign country should not be under-estimated. He's still got time, and most importantly, he still looks promising.

Nathan Broadhead is pacy and looks impressive. However, he's at that age where he needs to be banging on the first team door already.

Fraser Hornby – I don't see it. He's not prolific. He scores great goals, but he's not a great goalscorer. He's been reinvented as a No 9 from a midfield position. He lacks strikers instincts. He's had a growth spurt and against lads his age, he is great in the air. I hope I'm wrong, but I really can't see him stepping it up a level against men. He needs a loan for me.

Ryan Astley is very highly rated. Arsenal did their best to steal him, so signing for us was a major coup, but to be expected as he's been on our books for years, and we will give him more of a chance than Arsenal. The issue for me is height: he's only 18, he's not quite tall enough, will he have one last growth spurt, or is that it? If he gets no taller, then he needs to convert to fullback.

Dennis Adeniran is very impressive. As you say, a lot of competition ahead of him. He needs a loan to see if he can make it as a Number 8 in the Championship.

Bassala Sambou – very streaky striker and not scoring enough for me. Already 21 and so, putting it into context, he's just a year younger than Calvert-Lewin. So no, he's not going to make it unless something spectacular happens this season.

Others:

Ellis Simms – powerful 18-year-old, is the best striker at U18 level. Didn't step up well to U23. Back down to the U18s again now. He needs to be able to replicate that power at U23-level and then at senior level. My fear is that powerful youngsters struggle as they step up to the men's level and find that they have to be a completely different player and cannot do it. Anichebe was the same, and then when his physique caught up, he never knew how to use it.

Keorede Adedoyin – looks a very special young player, scoring so many for the U18s earlier in the season. I've not seen him closely enough to comment properly, but he has done exceptionally well in the few games I have seen and in the highlights. He is quick and drives forward well, with good feet, good passing, and he knows where the net is. Double figures for a central midfielder is impressive.

Ryan Astley is only 17, he's still potentially got plenty of growing to do. It's hard to compare him when he's playing but he looks about the same size as Feeney but not as physically developed as Gibson. What I like about Astley is not only has he got the composure to play his way out of tricky situations but is quite an aggressive tackler for one so young; once, maybe twice in a match, he'll leave his mark on an attacker. He's also a leader, having captained Wales from U15 through to U17 levels.

I would call Korede Adedoyin an attacker rather than a central midfielder. When he, Simms and Kieran Phillips were the attacking three before Christmas, our U18s looked unstoppable. I put a lot of that down to a fantastic midfield three of Einar Iversen, Bobby Carroll and Mackenzie Hunt who are a super creative force providing great balls through to the three up front.

Don't you think Keorede Adedoyin can play a box-to-box role? He looked good in the role on the occasions I've seen him.

I'd put Gibson in the same bracket as Feeney, Adeniran and Hornby – I think they all need loans to good Championship sides next season.

I'd put Gordon in the same bracket as John and Astley. They'll be the people who the next U23 side is built around.

I can see, over the next couple of seasons, the likes of Broadhead, Sambou and Bowler being kept on as the elderly statesmen for the U23s. No chance of the first team but still very important for the success of the next batch of players – similar to Browning, Galloway and Charsley at the moment.

Then the core of the U18s will form the next U23 team, with the likes of Gordon, John and Astley spearheading this. Hopefully Gibson, Feeney, Adeniran and Hornby will replicate the likes of Dowell, Connolly, Williams etc in performing well on loan in the Championship.

Realistically, it's probably going to be another 30 months before any of the current U23s are knocking seriously on the first team's door for a regular starting role.

Morgan Feeney is only just 20. Very young for a centre-back. If we sign Zouma, and release Jagielka, then we have Keane, Zouma, and Mina as first team options. Holgate makes another option but he may well be viewed as a right back now. So, if Holgate returns to the fold, I would have Feeney as part of the first team squad. I certainly would not loan him out.

Anthony Gordon could play for the real first team very soon. I say real, as he obviously played for them last season, in the Cyprus game. I think Gordon will be knocking on the door next season; yes, he needs to improve, but I think that's likely.

I want to see the 2nd years getting into the U23 squad, and hopefully playing up a level. This means the coaches who see them on a daily basis believe they are ready. I don't think Adeydoyin has featured at U23s, from memory the only 2nd years to do so are Gordon, Simms, John and Iversen (Astley of course is a 1st year). I worry that Adedoyin will get his contract for next season but fade into the U23s background like Manasse Mampala has.

For me our best box-to-box player at U18s is Bobby Carroll, a cracking little player. When he's on form, he drives the whole team forward. I'm just hoping his small stature doesn't hold him back.

By the way, what news of Beni Baningime?

Beni Baningime seems to be injured again, but no real evidence of this just that he's only appeared once for Wigan and hasn't even been in their squads for the last few games. Disappointing for him if so.

Brands' job is to make a solid team with an emphasis on youth, so we need to give them a chance.

Tosun and Walcott are two who are out of form and have no future with the club (even though Silva persists with the latter). They should be dropped from the squad, and Gordon should be introduced to the match-day squad (with Lookman starting the final 9 games).

Jagielka's time is up, he deserves a final swan-song, maybe playing the final two home games of the season as captain. However, would be good to see Feeney given a chance to stake a claim before then. Zouma has no long-term future here, especially with Chelsea's transfer ban. And Feeney on for Jags in the final two home games could have a symbolic meaning that could really push Feeney on.

Also, one or two sub appearances for Broadhead, Adeniran, and Hornby and maybe Astley would be nice to see.

We really need one or two academy graduates per year into the first-team squad to be able to step up.

Thanks Phill, Steve and everyone for the updates on all these young players. I too hope to see some of them in April/May when the games mean little in the table.

Come to think of it, that's pretty much true now, isn't it?

Robinson was playing very well at Wigan and showing flashes for the US until he blew out that ankle. Unfortunately the surgery took a long time to recover from, but he's back in full training.

Also just to let you know guys. I got a warning message saying that this websites license is out of date as of yesterday, and not to proceed.

Gordon, I just now got the same message.

Antony Evans does look a good prospect. However, he is now on loan at Blackpool. He is now 20 years of age. Let's see how he does in League One. So far, he has played in the first 4 games but missed the last two. He has been playing at right wing. Reviews seem favourable, but not spectacular.

Edit: he was back in the starting line-up last night and seemed to do okay.

Bobby Carroll, glad you mentioned him Phill, stood out for me versus Sunderland in the FA youth cup game, a very lively little player who makes the team click.

As phill says about Adedoyin he's got loads of skill can score but his bones are lazy, very lazy, like a couple more in the under 18,s squad, they are full,of skill but drift in and out of the game, give me players like Carroll any day,I doubt if you can put fight and the will to win in players but without it doubt if they will play consistently in the premier league.

It does look as though this present under 23 formation isn't quite right imo though, or maybe it's just that the EPL, is not really a place for many kids under the age of 21, and most of them will now have to go out on loan to really, really progress, or maybe it's never been any different, and this has always been the case?

I think it's great that Everton are looking to try and go down the home-grown route as much as possible though, and I just hope this transfer ban on young players, doesn't put paid to these long-term plans?

Ellis Simms would be fine as well, he was a free transfer after Man City released him. We just can't buy players like we did with Gibson and Bowler.

People develop at different levels and speeds. Not everyone is an Owen or Rooney. Even Robert Lewandowski said recently was told he wasn't good enough when he was younger. He turned out okay. I'd loan Bowler out somewhere to see what he's capable of.