This season, the fifth that I have been covering for Everton’s Youth teams, seems to be making a lot more sense than previous years.
I recall seasons, not too long ago, which saw once-promising talent peak and fester in the Under 21s before, largely fading quietly into the lower reaches of the Football League. There’s nothing wrong with that from a player’s perspective of course as they earn a living in the profession they chose but, from the club’s viewpoint, it appeared a bit of a failure and a little haphazard or even ramshackle in approach. One of the primary reasons for an academy is to feed and grow your first team. The club, under David Moyes around 15 to 20 years ago, actually had that in place (Rooney, Barkley, Osman, Hibbert, Anichebe, Vaughan, Baxter, etc).
Fast forward to 2026 and I sense a better grasp of developing the players at the right point again after many years of struggle. For every limited success story of the last 10 years (e.g. Tom Davies, Jonjoe Kenny) and undoubted success (e.g. Anthony Gordon), there has been the likes of Matthew Pennington, Tyias Browning and Callum Connolly who simply stayed too long without ever threatening to break into the first team on a regular basis. No disrespect to those guys as they have made and continue to make a career in the game but you always wonder if the loan structure could have helped them better develop for Everton?
This season has seen a massive 17 separate loan transactions mainly to League One and League Two but they have largely been with players around the age of 18 or 19. Last season there had been only 11 loans out for younger players and they were largely a year or so older at their point of exit.
Not all development loans will work of course, but again it matters what the club will do about it, how fast they react? With the likes of Francis Okoronkwo, Martin Sherif (main picture), Odin Samuels-Smith and Bradley Moonan, we have seen them recalled from initial loans and sent out again to somewhere that might suit better or simply to reintegrate them back into the blue of Everton. I simply cannot fault the effort or intent these days!
Harrison Armstrong (below, in the white of Preston North End) of course is the current shining example, now deemed actually too important to send back to Deepdale in spite of the logic in doing so and, lower down the League ladder, Isaac Heath (below, in the red of Accrington Stanley) has had a barnstorming season learning the game amongst the hurly burly of men’s football.
OXFORD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 13: Preston North End’s Harrison Armstrong breaks during the Sky Bet Championship match between Oxford United and Preston North End at Kassam Stadium on December 13, 2025 in Oxford, England. (Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Gainsborough Trinity’s Javelle Clarke (right) and Accrington Stanley’s Isaac Heath battle for the ball during the Emirates FA Cup first round match at the Kal Group Stadium, Gainsborough. Picture date: Sunday November 2, 2025. (Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images)
PA Images via Getty Images
The equally important aspect of these loans is that it of course opens the doors for younger talent, sometimes just 16 years old, to pitch themselves against players up to 5 years their senior, never a bad thing.
From the angle of maintaining a healthy and functional U21 squad, the promoted U18 talent for the second half of the season will still be ably supported by a few players around the 19/20 years of age mark. To develop the kids you need a nucleus of slightly more savvy players to stay in games.
A few of the key talents to cement themselves into the U21s until the summer will be Demi Akarakiri and Malik Olayiwola below. Both are very exciting midfielders.
GRIMSBY, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: Ademide Akarakiri of Everton passes the ball during the Vertu Trophy match between Grimsby v Everton U21 at Blundell Park on November 04, 2025 in Grimsby, England. (Photo by Tony King/Getty Images)
GRIMSBY, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: Ademide Akarakiri of Everton passes the ball during the Vertu Trophy match between Grimsby v Everton U21 at Blundell Park on November 04, 2025 in Grimsby, England. (Photo by Tony King/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Malik Olayiwola of Everton U21 controls the ball during the Premier League 2 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at the Lamex Stadium in Stevenage, England, on January 30, 2026. (Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Malik Olayiwola of Everton U21 controls the ball during the Premier League 2 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at the Lamex Stadium in Stevenage, England, on January 30, 2026. (Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
The full list of Academy players currently out on loan is as follows:
Martin Sherif (striker) and Eli Campbell (centre back) at Port Vale, League One
Roman Dixon (right back) and Tyler Onyango (midfielder) at Stockport County, League One
Jack Patterson (centre midfielder) at LS Lodz , I Liga [2nd tier] Poland
Will Tamen (centre back) at Tranmere Rovers, League Two
Francis Okoronkwo (striker) at Doncaster Rovers, League One
George Finney (right back) at Ayr United, Scottish Championship
Isaac Heath (winger) at Accrington Stanley, League Two
George Morgan (striker) at AS Cannes, Championnat National 2, France
Fraser Barnsley (goalkeeper) at Marine, National League North
Goodness Gospel-Eze (goalkeeeper) at Burscough, North West Counties League
Good luck to them all!