Wayne Rooney will go down as one of the true greats to be produced through Everton’s academy system and David Moyes was fortunate enough to manage him.
Everton saw Thierno Barry finally get off the mark at the weekend with his goal against Nottingham Forest.
But there will no fan out there who would not wish to have a player of Rooney’s quality playing up front for the Blues currently.
Rooney visited the Hill Dickinson Stadium recently for the victory against Fulham just before the last international break.
The 40-year-old is still regarded as the best youngster to play for the Blues having come through the ranks on Merseyside.
To this day, Moyes can still remember that very first conversation with the young Rooney, who was playing in the youth setup at the time.
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What David Moyes said to a young Wayne Rooney at Everton
Moyes admitted he’d love Rooney playing in his Everton side, amid the club’s struggles in front of goal earlier in the season.
Only time will tell whether Barry turns out to be a reliable option up front for the Blues, but Rooney certainly turned out to be just that during his career.
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Speaking on the Everton YouTube channel, Moyes shared his very first conversation with a very young Rooney.
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An overview of Wayne Rooney's career for Everton.
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“I do remember the first time I saw Wayne Rooney. It was actually a semi-final of the FA Youth Cup, I think they were playing Tottenham and Wayne was playing,” said Moyes.
“I was actually up in the gantry at Goodison Park watching it from up there. I came down after the game and the boys were on the pitch doing a cool down.
“I went over and said to him [Rooney]: ‘You’ll be with me next season.’
“I always remember saying that and Wayne didn’t speak much at the time so I got a nod.”
Simon Jordan slammed Moyes for his handling of Rooney at the young age, but he was the man to bring the England legend onto the scene.
The Scot will only have wished to have had more of an opportunity to continue developing Rooney on Merseyside.
David Moyes wants progress from Everton’s academy
Moyes recently urged Everton’s academy to improve, by suggesting that more could be done to offer the senior side with exciting prospects.
“From what I’m hearing and the feedback I’m getting is that they’re doing ok. Maybe they need to do a bit more before they’re ready for the first team,” he said.
Although it is unlikely that Everton will ever produce another player who can come anywhere near the talent that Rooney possessed, more is needed from the current crop.
The Friedkin Group want to improve Everton’s academy as they hope to bridge the current gap between the youth system and the first team.
As things stand, the only player close to having an impact on the senior side from the academy is Harrison Armstrong.
And it may be even more telling that even he is currently away from the club on loan.
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