Everton welcomed a fresh wave of talent to the Academy as Matthew Taylor’s under-18s integrate prolific debutants and strategic new signings for the upcoming campaign.
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Everton have confirmed that they have welcomed 11 new scholars into their under-18 squad ahead of the 26/27 season.
Every year, Everton will announce a new set of scholars to join the Academy setup. Usually, they are breaking through from the lower ages, but there are often the odd new signings sprinkled in there.
Some of the new scholars have already featured for the under-18 side at times, stepping up from the lower age groups.
Everton's under-18s will be led by former Portsmouth winger Matthew Taylor, who was appointed earlier this month. It's a new era for Everton's under-18 side, with eleven new scholars now named ahead of the 2026/2027 season.
Everton announce new scholars
Everton have now officially announced that they have welcomed 11 new scholars into the under-18 squad, and they were all formally introduced at a special event at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The scholars were spoken to by current first-team coach Leighton Baines, alongside several members of the new coaching setup and even the Under-21s player of the season, Braiden Graham.
First up is Ted Wilcox, a goalkeeper who has been with Everton's Academy for eight years and who heads into his first year of his scholarship.
Next is Divine Madueke, formerly of Tottenham, who made four appearances for the under 18s last season.
Harlow McEveley, a centre-back, also enters the first year of his scholarship, though he did make a whopping 23 appearances for the under 18s last term.
Tom McDermott joined Everton from Chelsea's Academy this summer, and the left back is heading into his first season with the club.
Rodney Aduda is another first-year scholar who signed for Everton back in 2024. He also featured for the under-18s last season, playing seven times.
Harry Brookes is next up, and he's been with the Everton Academy since under nines, while he also featured for the under 18s last season.
Lucas Moogan has been with the Academy for eight years now, and he's also been offered a scholarship.
Levi Okorie is one of the longest-serving players to have been offered a scholarship, as he has been with the academy since the age of seven. Okorie is a Republic of Ireland U16 international and made three appearances for Everton's under 18s last season.
Dafi Pemberton is next up, and he's another long-serving player, having been with the club for nearly 11 years now. He made six appearances for the U18s last season and also has two Wales U15 caps.
Jonathan Nsangou played 20 league games for the under-18s last season, producing nine goal contributions, while he also made his under-21s debut. Nsangou has also represented England under-16s on five occasions.
Finally, a new signing for the under-18s is Kai Hutchinson from Dundee United. To find out a little bit more about Hutchinson, we spoke to some industry experts about the forward, which you can check out in the link below.
Scouts and analysts break down the Scottish prodigy’s dual-footed finishing and physical dominance as Everton set to beat Premier League rivals for the prolific teenage striker.roundtable.ioExpert and Industry Insight on Everton Target Kai Hutchinson
Scouts and analysts break down the Scottish prodigy’s dual-footed finishing and physical dominance as Everton set to beat Premier League rivals for the prolific teenage striker.