Jose Baxter

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As a 15-year-old, Jose Baxter finished top scorer in the Milk Cup. According to the Everton Youth Academy director Ray Hall he is a much better player than Rooney was at 14/15.  He has broken Patrick youth goal scoring records at International youth level and has broken Rooney's, Rush's and Owen's records at club youth level.

He has also has secured himself sponsorship from Nike, at the age of only 15.  He is hyped as the best prospect in the North West and even England has been courted by Man Utd and Chelsea.  Baxter has represented Everton Under-8s at the age of 14, England Under-17s at the age of 14, and is sure to follow in Wayne Rooney’s footsteps by making an impact on the Everton scene.

Certainly one to watch out for, he started the 2007-08 season well for Everton Under-18s,  scoring 4 goals in 3 matches. The only problem could be a big one as he’s a massive Red and might not stick around, but it’s about time we stole one off them.

After impressing at youth level, in reserves, and in pre-season 2008, Jose Baxter was a surprise substitution in the season opener against Blackburn, And was given his full debut a week later at West Brom.  However, an injury ruled him out until into the New Year, when he started to reappear in Reserves line-ups and made the subs' bench for a handful of  Premier League games as well as an unused sub in the 2009 FA Cup Final.

Baxter started to feature more in the bench for Everton but opportunities were at a premium, despite increasing injury problems for David Moyes as the increasingly dreadful new season developed.

Off the pitch, and young Jose got himself into some serious trouble, getting nabbed by the fuzz with some other characters on drugs and counterfeit mony charges.

Despite this, his services were retained and he eventually got another chance in Athens on a wet night in December.  He also started the final Europa League group game against BATE Borisov but was not too impressive.  After that, opportunities were few and far between as the walking wounded returned to the fray and things turned around for Everton with the New Year of 2010.  Jose went back to the Reserves and Academy teams, only getting one more senior chance, 5 mins at the end of the home game against Fulham near the end of the season.

Surely 2010-11 would be Baxter's breakthrough season... but no, it wasn't to be.  Surprisingly, he was not one to be loaned out, although a torn hamstring kept him out of action for a few weeks near the end of the season.  He had a good stint in the Reserves and must have thought he had done enough to earn his chance to impress David Moyes, getting to sit on the subs bench 17 times... but he only got called upon once, a pointless and useless late replacement for Phil Neville in the last 2 minutes of the emabarrassing FA Cup defeat to Reading that saw any chance of a trophy disappear.

So... pre-season 2011 and surely Baxter would be more involved as David Moyes prepared for the new season with a threadbare squad and the emphasis on youth? But Baxter continued to hover on the fringe, and was farmed out across the Mersey in September for a month's loan at Tranmere Rovers that was extened twice to three months, ending in January 2012.

By Michael Kenrick
Last updated January 2012