Everton FC correspondent Joe Thomas looks at two Blues whose breakout moment could come at just the right time
Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George line up in a wall during the UEFA U19 EURO Elite Round match between England and Portugal at Deeside Stadium in Connah's Quay, Wales. Photo by Alex Livesey - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George line up in a wall during the UEFA U19 EURO Elite Round match between England and Portugal at Deeside Stadium in Connah's Quay, Wales. Photo by Alex Livesey - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
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Plenty of focus going into the Merseyside derby will be on Rio Ngumoha but Everton have their own starlets ready to make their mark.
The Liverpool winger is clearly a talent and is one of two teenagers set to be involved who are already having a breakout season in the Premier League - with Harrison Armstrong, who has captained Ngumoha in the England Under-19s, having convinced David Moyes of his value to the first team across January.
But now would be the perfect time for two others involved in the England youth set up to step forward and make their first serious contribution to Everton’s season a defining one in the race for Europe.
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There is little doubt about the talent of Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George but Everton are yet to see the best of either. That is partly circumstantial - Dibling found himself behind the mercurial wide men Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye in the first half of the campaign and, since Grealish’s injury and George’s subsequent arrival on loan, Everton have been involved in a tense, high stakes run of fixtures in which Moyes has largely been vindicated for his caution.
Both have had positive moments, as a second half substitute at Fulham George was a catalyst for the push that secured a comeback win at Craven Cottage and he also caused Brentford serious issues as Everton fought back for a point at the Gtech Community Stadium last week. Dibling played well in the away win at Nottingham Forest over the Christmas period, one of few starts since his initial £35m move from Southampton in the summer.
The pair have inspired positive comments from Moyes, a manager who is happy to be patient with young players and bide his time before unleashing them. But it still feels clear he is yet to fully trust either, at least not in important games that are tight affairs - which almost every recent game bar the home wins over Burnley and Chelsea have been.
With the run-in entering its final six games, and with many of those matches set to be tricky contests that could be separated by a moment of magic, it does feel that both players will have the opportunity to provide that crucial spark. They are capable of that, as glimpses have shown in the past week or two - George’s cameo in west London or Dibling’s gorgeous finish in open training earlier this month.
The derby often serves as a platform for a young player to have a breakthrough moment, it does not take much to conjure the incredible displays of the likes of Billy Kenny and Danny Cadamarteri, for instance.
The attention may be on a teenager in red but the stage is set for a starlet in Royal Blue, too.