The Friedkin Group have placed great emphasis on recruiting young talent since joining Everton.
Around this time last year, Everton’s academy was branded a ‘disgrace’ by a source close to the club, with Farhad Moshiri almost neglecting recruitment at that level.
The Friedkin Group decided the youth teams needed serious attention, so one of their first ports of call was hiring Nick Cox from Manchester United.
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Cox joined the Toffees with a big reputation, having brought through the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, to name only a couple.
Cox is now the technical director at Everton, and he has been overseeing a drastic change to the academy.
The club have deployed a new transfer model, which is ultimately centred around signing the best-in-class at youth level.
Reuben Gokah was the first high-profile signing for Everton’s academy, and with that said, we’ve taken a closer look at the talented youngster.
Everton defender Reuben Gokah.
Photo by Frederic Scheidemann – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
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Who is Reuben Gokah?
Full name: Reuben Emmanuel Delali Gokah
Age: 17
Height: 6ft 3
Place of birth: London, England
Position: Centre-back
When did Everton sign Reuben Gokah?
Everton signed Reuben Gokah from Charlton in the summer of 2025, with many in the academy sphere tipping him to go right to the very top.
Charlton have produced two fantastic defenders in recent times, with Joe Gomez and Ezri Konsa going on to enjoy successful careers in the Premier League.
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There's some really exciting youngsters currently at Finch Farm 🔥
Everton's Braiden Graham inspecting the pitch before the match during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Everton. Everton midfielder Malik Olayiwola. Justin Clarke of Everton looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Accrington Stanley and Everton.
Credit: Getty Images/Andrew Kearns – CameraSport/Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto/Matt McNulty.
So, it was viewed as a big coup for the Toffees and the first step in the Friedkin Group’s exciting new vision.
Has Reuben Gokah signed a professional contract?
Yes, Gokah actually signed his first professional contract on February 12, 2026.
After penning a deal until 2028, the 17-year-old said: “I’m very proud to have signed this deal.
“It’s an exciting moment for me and a big achievement for both me and my family because I’ve worked very hard. I’m really happy to be able to be given this opportunity.
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Everton winger Justin Clarke.
“It’s an exciting time to be an Everton player at the moment, so I’m really looking forward to what the future has for both me and this club.”
Gokah added: “I feel like I’ve really progressed quite a lot and they’ve seen me get achievements like England call-ups, so I’ve been very happy to have these things and have these people helping me along the way.”
Gokah was recently asked to describe himself as a footballer in four words by Everton’s X account, and he replied: “Composed, hard-working, dedicated and resilient.”
He was then asked for three things he couldn’t live without: “My Faith, my family and yeah football.”
Gokah’s heroes are his parents and Cristiano Ronaldo. The teenager explained that he admires the Al-Nassr forward’s work ethic.
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