EXCLUSIVE: Paul Tait outlines Everton's first team expectations for Braiden Graham ahead of the Under-21s Premier League International Cup quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund at Walton Hall Park next Wednesday
Everton Under-21s manager Paul Tait has outlined the club’s plan for Braiden Graham this year with the player having netted 31 times in all competitions so far this season for Blues academy teams.
The 18-year-old was named in David Moyes’ senior squad for the first time for the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the City Ground on December 30 while he was also among the substitutes for the FA Cup third round tie against Sunderland at Hill Dickinson Stadium on January 10. When asked what makes Graham stand out as a prospect, Tait told the ECHO: “His goals, that’s what gets him noticed.
“Everybody in the academy has been impressed with his mentality. The way he trains, he’s first on the pitch and last off.
“He’s desperate to do individual stuff and get better. He’s desperate to improve his weaknesses, is humble and works hard.
“He’s a good character. Not just the talent that you see on the pitch but characteristics we try to instil in the boys in terms of humility and seeing the goodness in teamwork and Braiden has embraced that since he came over from Ireland.”
Northern Ireland’s record scorer David Healy, who was the Under-19 international’s manager at his first club Linfield remarked of Graham: “He’s goals, goals, goals, he prowls in and around he’s a deadly finisher.” However, despite the player starting out as a centre-forward in his native Ulster, with Everton first team strikers Thierno Barry and Beto standing 6ft 5in and 6ft 4in respectively, Tait is realistic about the 5ft 9in teenager’s prospects in such a role.
He said: “I’ve played him as a nine and I’ve played him as a 10, not very much as a seven because I think he does his best work cutting in from the left on his right and he’s played as an 11. I think it’s important that we give him the variety of playing in those different positions.
“The reality of it is, if he’s going to get into somebody’s first team, and certainly in our first team, it will probably be off the sides. To put a lad that age, as your main number nine, in the Premier League is as big ask – we don’t see it now do we?
“It’s very rare that there’s a young number nine leading the line now. Most attacking teenagers get their debuts off the sides.
“We’ve got one eye on that. But at the same time, we don’t want to take away the opportunity to play as a centre-forward, or a false nine/number 10.
“I think the key is variety in his positions to give him that all-round development. That will mean he’s ready when he does go into the first team.
“The reality for Braiden is that next season, hopefully he’s in and around our first team. If he impresses and has a good pre-season, it’s up to him then and he’ll probably be looking for a loan as that will be the next stage of his journey.”
Graham is eligible to drop down into Keith Southern’s Under-18s side who go to Manchester City on Friday for the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup, having netted a spectacular last-gasp equaliser against Ipswich Town in the previous round at Hill Dickinson Stadium before the Blues despatched of their visitors from Suffolk 4-2 after extra time. After the trip to the Joie Stadium though, Tait’s Under-21s host Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the Premier League International Cup at Walton Hall Park next Wednesday (7pm kick-off).
The 51-year-old is hoping to see a good attendance supporting his side. He said: “It will be great to get a crowd in to support the lads. I think we got around five thousands fans against Real Madrid and the difference that it makes is massive.
“Wally Hall is a tight venue, and it would make a real big difference for the boys.
“I think it’s very important for the lads to get experience of playing against international opponents. We missed out a few times, but I remember in 2022 we played Paris Saint-Germain at Wally Hall and got a really good crowd, it was almost a full house and a really good game.
“We’ve played Dortmund in the past and they’ve got a good academy. They’ve always produced players for both their first team and other first teams.”
Indeed, testing themselves against overseas opposition has been an education for both Tait and his players alike. He said: “These games give you different tests to what we normally get in Premier League 2. It’s a different style of football and this year we’ve seen how they build up differently from the back.
“We started against Real Madrid who are exceptional at building up from the back. They had rotations where the centre-half would come into midfield and be the six and in turn the six would go in and be the centre-half.
“They’re trying to create some space in the middle of the pitch and drag your defensive players out of the middle of the pitch to get access to the frontline. That’s been a really good learning experience, particularly for the players.
“Then we played against Monaco who were more physically mature than us. They were all 20 or 21-year-olds and physical specimens.
“They played in a different way and went to the front early, playing off the front and trying to use their physicality to get past us. So, we’ve had different challenges, mostly in possession.”
Tait added: “You felt that their goalkeepers were outstanding. Particularly at PSV and Real Madrid, their goalkeepers were almost like midfield players and that gives you a real problem.
“Normally, when you’re pressing, the spare player is their goalkeeper if you want to go man for man. If we press the goalkeeper, he picks the spare man out and suddenly you’re on the back foot.
“There’s also the aspects out of possession. Leipzig, like a lot of the German teams, have the model of counter-pressing and I thought we did well against that as we practised it, almost playing one touch, so as not to stay on the ball too long and prevent the counter-press from being successful.”
Tickets are now on sale, priced at £5 for Adults and £3 for Juniors (under-18s), while Everton Season Ticket Members, Premium Members and Forever Blue Members can claim a free ticket for the match. Visit evertonfc.com/tickets or call the ticket office on 0151 556 1878 to buy yours today.