Braiden Graham is making a serious name for himself in Everton’s academy.
Everton have really high hopes for Braiden Graham as the Toffees teenager continues to deliver in the reserve side.
Despite turning just 18 in November, Graham has been playing for the under-21s, and he’s enjoying a prolific season.
Graham netted his 16th goal of the campaign in a 2-2 draw against Burnley on Monday evening.
Does David Moyes need to put more trust in Everton’s academy players? 😤
Surely some of these players can do better than Beto and Dwight McNeil! 😡
Everton striker Braiden Graham. Everton manager David Moyes.
Credit: Getty Images/Andrew Kearns – CameraSport/Visionhaus.
As such, supporters are urging David Moyes to hand the young striker his senior debut, especially since Thierno Barry and Beto are underperforming.
However, here is why that’s unlikely to happen.
Braiden Graham unlikely to make Everton debut due to under-21s jeopardy
Everton are crying out for a prolific centre-forward, with Barry and Beto scoring just eight Premier League goals between them this season.
You would imagine Graham’s chances of a debut would be boosted by that, but that doesn’t look like it’ll be the case.
MORE EVERTON STORIES
Braiden Graham is doing things Beto and Thierno Barry could only dream of… 😳
Unless either of the aforementioned strikers suffers an injury, Everton may feel the teenage wonderkid is better off helping the under-21s during a crucial stage of the season.
In the Premier League 2, the top 16 teams in the division qualify for the play-offs, and at the moment, the Toffees are narrowly above the cut-off point.
Paul Tait’s side are only two points above 17th-placed Aston Villa, and they have played a game more, so there is some jeopardy heading into the final stages of the campaign.
# Team Played Points
13th Everton U21s 14 20
14th Wolves U21s 13 19
15th Stoke U21s 14 19
16th Middlesbrough U21s 14 18
17th Aston Villa U21s 13 18
PL2 table
The first team evidently take priority, but it’s certainly something the coaches around Finch Farm will be considering.
What has David Moyes said about Braiden Graham?
Moyes actually spoke about Graham during a press conference last month and gave him a subtle nod of approval.
“I think Braiden is doing well,” the Scotsman stated.
“It’s probably at the moment that we need him to build up his physicality and his all-round speed. We’re pleased that we’re getting some of the young boys a chance to be around it. We’ll see how they continue.”
Moyes wasn’t overly complimentary, but that’s probably to keep the youngster on his toes and ultimately motivate him to impress even more.
So, with all that said, it looks as though a debut for Graham may not come until next season.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox