Wayne Rooney playing for Everton (left), Leon Osman playing for Everton (right)
Wayne Rooney playing for Everton (left), Leon Osman playing for Everton (right)
Wayne Rooney is often the first name people think of when talking about the Everton academy. The former striker was a generational superstar in his playing days who really put the club’s youth system on the map.
Rooney burst onto the scene in 2002, scoring that magnificent curling effort against Arsenal as a 16-year-old.
He would sadly leave the club after only a couple of years, though, to join Manchester United, where he won it all and became one of the best footballers in the world.
Rooney then came back for a second spell with Everton in 2017. While he was clearly past his prime, there were still moments of genius from Rooney that got fans out of their chairs.
So it’s fair to say he is probably the best player the Everton academy has produced. But the academy has also developed several other fine players down the years, and Everton News asked fans on TalkingPoints for their best alternatives.
Tony Hibbert: Cult hero and ultimate one-club man
Tony Hibbert didn’t play for the cameras, and he didn’t care about the headlines. The only thing that ever mattered to him was defending.
Emerging from the 1998 Youth Cup-winning side, the ultimate one-club man racked up 329 total appearances for Everton between 2000 and 2016.
He really was all about the defending and the defending only. Hibbert never scored in an official game for the Toffees during his 16-year stint, only finding the net in his testimonial against AEK Athens.
His lack of goals birthed the legendary Goodison joke, ‘If Hibbert scores, we riot’. While it was a shame it never happened in an official game, Everton fans still adored Hibbert for his loyalty and professionalism. Undoubtedly, he is one of the most underrated players of the Premier League era and a fantastic success story of the academy.
Leon Osman: The understated engine room
While Hibbert provided the steel, Leon Osman brought the silk. Despite battling severe knee injuries early in his career, Osman’s technical intelligence made him an indispensable component of David Moyes’ midfield.
Osman was particularly brilliant at making late runs into the box, and had a real knack for spectacular goals. His scorching curler against Manchester City was particularly memorable.
For years, Osman rather went under the radar at Everton, but he would finally be acknowledged by the wider football community when he earned his first of two senior England caps in 2012. There was a genuine argument that his call-up was overdue.
He didn’t really have the same pizzazz as Mikel Arteta, or the goalscoring prowess of Tim Cahill. But there was a reason he was always selected. Like Hibbert, he was another massively underrated Everton player in the Premier League era.
Ross Barkley: The diamond that flashed and faded
Ross Barkley was just raw, unadulterated excitement when he was coming through at Everton.
When he broke into the first team, Roberto Martínez famously compared his unique skill set to a mix of Paul Gascoigne and Michael Ballack. Tim Cahill also said that Barkley was the most talented footballer he had worked with.
Barkley had the ability to just blitz through Premier League midfields, scoring breathtaking solo goals like the one against Newcastle United.
Though his £15 million move to Chelsea in 2018 left a bittersweet taste for many on the Gwladys Street, there is no denying that at his peak, he was the most exciting thing to come out of the academy since Rooney.
Anthony Gordon: The rapid rise and bitter split
A local boy who grew up just minutes from the stadium, Anthony Gordon broke into the first team at just 16 years old. His breakout year came during the tumultuous 2021/22 season, where his electric pace, fearless dribbling, and ferocious work rate made him Everton’s shining light in a fierce relegation battle. He swept the club’s awards that year, winning both the Players’ Player and Young Player of the Season.
His £45 million transfer to Newcastle United in January 2023 caused a lot of animosity. But there is no denying that his rise to the England national team and a high-profile move to Barcelona prove the world-class foundation built in Everton’s academy.
Harrison Armstrong Everton’s next academy superstar?
And of course, we can’t talk about the Everton academy without mentioning Harrison Armstrong, who looks like he could be the next great product.
Last season Armstrong – who signed for the club at the age of five – came back early from his loan spell at Preston North End, amid a shortage of players.
He was given a handful of games by David Moyes, and really caught the eye – his performance in the away win at Aston Villa was particularly impressive. It quickly became clear that Armstrong was ready to mix it in the Premier League, locking horns with Bruno Fernandes against Manchester United.
Armstrong did struggle for minutes at the back end of last season as Everton tried to push for Europe, but this term he’s been heavily involved and one of the brightest sparks in the team, giving fans hope that he will indeed become the academy’s next superstar.