Patrick Boyle

Paddy Boyle joined the Everton Youth Academy in 2003 after being scouted from Livingston in Scotland.  After a couple of good seasons in the Academy and Reserves sides, he signed on as a professional initially for one year in July 2005.

Essentially a left back, he can also operate in midfield or in the centre of a back four.  Since joining Everton, he has been honoured with selection to the Scotland Under-19 team, and he did get to sit on the substitutes' bench for the FA Cup 4th Round tie against Chelsea in March 2006.

Patrick is a young, versatile player who can play in left back, centre half or midfield.  It's this versatility which convinced David Moyes to keep him rather than release him during the annual early-summer cull of upcoming talent.

Paddy got a chance to impress in the first friendly of the 2006 pre-season with a great performance at Bury that brought this comment from coach Alan Irvine:

"I asked Paddy what he thought of the full backs at the World Cup.  The likes of Zambrotta and Grosso for Italy, who were both prepared to get forward, as Roberto Carlos and Cafu had played over the years for Brazil.  I said to him that I thought that was a thing he was capable of doing.  But he had to believe that he was capable of doing it and be prepared to work hard enough to do it.  I think that the run he made in the last few minutes of the game, which showed that he has taken that on board.  I was delighted with what Paddy did.  I thought he could cope with this level of football and he showed that he could today."

Paddy Boyle played a significant part in pre-season games and looked reasonably good, but he did not get a first-team debut and was soon farmed out on loan to Norwich City, where he bombed... and came back injured.  And at that point he kind of faded from view, confirming the feeling that he had come as close to the Everton first team as he was ever going to get.

Apparently he suffered a bad back injury... but he's was reported to be back in shape and fighting fit by the summer of 2007.  He was given a squad number (some sources say 29; others say 30...) and became a regular fixture for Everton reserves but no further progress to report until he was farmed out on yet another loan deal, this time to Crewe Alexandra for a couple of months in early 2008.  He was ultimately released at the end of the season, having never played for the Everton first team.

By Michael Kenrick
Last updated May 2008