Baxter is a free agent

, 16 July, 53comments  |  Jump to most recent
Jose Baxter, the Everton Academy graduate who is hopeful of being picked up by Crystal Palace, is no longer with the Club after apparently turning down a new contract at Goodison Park.

The 20-year-old confirmed on Twitter this evening that he is no longer an Everton player and also said that while there is speculation regarding him joining Palace, he has not yet signed for the South London side.

At one stage regarded as the next Wayne Rooney, Baxter's career has stalled in recent years and after making seven appearances for the Blues and spending a spell on loan at Tranmere Rovers last season, the striker is now a free agent.

Quotes or other material sourced from Twitter



Reader Comments (53)

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Glen Anderson
1 Posted 16/07/2012 at 23:48:54
Wasn't he our reserve team player of the year last season?
Tom Dodds
2 Posted 16/07/2012 at 23:56:04
This is simple: if the shyster supreme Kenwright had the money, these lads would be given more of a break, and obviously ergo, could command better contracts... The older youths like Barkley and Baxter, Duffy etc would be tried a lot more, but they are being deliberately kept in the nursery and in their own little worlds of playing other Prem reserves teams or playing for England (!) etc.... More Contracts equals More Money!

Got it yet? This is EFC.... Now!

We're SKINT!

Colum Flanagan
3 Posted 17/07/2012 at 00:09:06
I'm sure he probably won't make it in the Premier League but it would have been nice to hold on to him at least to beef up a fairly small squad as it is. By the looks of it Everton want as many players off the wages as possible.
Si Cooper
4 Posted 17/07/2012 at 00:07:57
Good luck to the lad, shame it didn't work out for him at EFC.
Always thought he was a midfielder and can't remember him playing as a striker except maybe in the same role as Cahill. Unfortunately never really looked the part when he did get opportunities. May have been consistently good for the reserve team but surely that only translates as Championship level for the most part?
Peter Laing
5 Posted 17/07/2012 at 00:16:40
Not good enough at Premier league level. No pace, no physical pressence and although an apparently technical player probably in his best interests to drop down a divison or two.
Ernie Baywood
6 Posted 17/07/2012 at 00:16:16
Career stalled from the age of about 17, which would suggest he simply didn't develop physically the way we might have hoped. Lacked pace and strength and wasn't really up to compensating for those issues.

Hope he has a good career but it's hard to see what he offers. Must be devastating to be a top schoolboy, focus on footy as a career, and ultimately not quite make the grade.

Andrew Simpson
7 Posted 17/07/2012 at 00:20:08
The club would still receive a development fee for him when he signs for another club though right? Like the Hoilett situation because he is under 24??
Ernie Baywood
8 Posted 17/07/2012 at 00:35:25
Seems like we at least offered a contract this time so you'd hope we would get something.
James Stewart
9 Posted 17/07/2012 at 01:48:36
The fee anyone would pay for him would be so small it would hardly be worth fighting over.

Not good enough. I was surprised he was offered a deal at all.

Ernie Baywood
10 Posted 17/07/2012 at 02:18:57
Not sure we can afford to be so flippant with probably hundreds of thousands of pounds.

After the stick Everton got over the Gosling fiasco interesting to see the alternate view.

David Chait
11 Posted 17/07/2012 at 05:54:56
Too small, more technical - um like half the Barcelona squad. I'm getting tired of that reason. Maybe the club couldn't promise first team football this season and he wasn't wiling to do an Osman. Maybe he reckons he is worth more than they were offering. Maybe he is.

I will continue to follow his career very closely. Good luck lad. If you prove Moyes wrong I will be absolutely gutted!

Mike Jones
12 Posted 17/07/2012 at 06:24:10
He won't ever make it at the top level, too much of a party boy.

Phil Sammon
13 Posted 17/07/2012 at 06:28:45
Heard it said a thousand times that he's a 'technical' player. I'm yet to see that to be honest. Probably best for everyone that he tries it elsewhere.

And I think that 'party boy' statement is a little harsh. He trains as hard as anyone – he just got in a mix-up when he was a kid. We've all done daft stuff. Good luck, Jose.

Shaun Lyon
14 Posted 17/07/2012 at 07:45:38
David at 85 - absolutely bang on. This post might just tie-in with a recent one asking why England doesn't seem to produce technically able footballers. My son and I were at the Blackburn game a few years back when Baxter made his debut as a fairly late-on sub. He looked a prospect then, good touch and vision certainly.

I don't know why he's failed to progress but it's surely true that you can be a week-in & week-out Premier League player for a mid- or lower-table side if you are big, strong and super athletic but not actually very good at football. Depressing.
Sagar Palikhey
15 Posted 17/07/2012 at 09:39:43
It's all Moyes's fault, he can't nurture young talents with his defensive minded crap backroom coaches. Rodwell and Barkley will also be same like Baxter, they won't make it to top level. Moyes OUT!!
Anthony Flack
16 Posted 17/07/2012 at 09:56:26
Crikey Sagar, chill and try to be original or interesting. Baxter had not made it, I do not recall many Tranmere fans raving about him. Sure he will knock a few goals in here and there, but I am sure the decision Baxter has made as he turned down the contract is fine for both parties.

Why Moyes out. No sense at all

Sam Hoare
17 Posted 17/07/2012 at 10:14:08
Always seemed like a poor man's Leon Osman. If he works hard then hopefully he will have a good career but I would be surprised to see him ever turn out for a top ten Premier League club. Then again, it's difficult to tell without a solid run in the first team.

Noel Early
18 Posted 17/07/2012 at 10:35:42
Not good enough in my opinion, he never stood out in any game I've seen him in. He seemed like a player who wasn't good enough to be a central striker and didn't possess the strength for central midfield. I was actually surprised we offered him a contract.
Tony J Williams
19 Posted 17/07/2012 at 11:08:37
So it's Moyes's fault that a player turns down a contract and hasn't made it in the Premier League?

He is almost Godlike with all the powers at his behest, isn't he?

Colin Ryan
20 Posted 17/07/2012 at 11:09:41
Never looked fit whenever I saw him. Came on as a sub in some game last season and looked wrecked after 10 mins. Will drop down the leagues and be non league by the time he's 25.
Steve Smith
21 Posted 17/07/2012 at 11:46:41
Sagar 393,
Rodwell won't make it ???? he's already an England international !

I did here that Baxter was going a few months ago, the reason given was that he lacks the pace required for the PL, so I was surprised that he was offered a new deal, maybe Moyes was trying to do him a favour by giving him more time to develop.

Alan Humphreys
22 Posted 17/07/2012 at 12:16:24
Anthony (394) The Tranmere fans at work felt the same, they rated Wallace a helluva lot more than Jose - I was surprised we actually sold James rather than loaning him out for a full season to see how he progressed.

No player should be leaving for free if we can bring any kind of fee in. Good luck to him wherever he goes - twitter seems to indicate Palace or Derby, which may be the right level for him to kick-start his career.

Anthony Millington
23 Posted 17/07/2012 at 12:23:06
Why did we let his contract run down? Too small and slow for the Premier League? What about Leon Osman, a shining example that it's not all about physique but footballing ability.
Mike Powell
24 Posted 17/07/2012 at 12:25:26
"Moyes Out"???Are you for real? As for Baxter, he was not good enough for our first team – simple as that; he is well down the pecking order.

Oh Davey Moyes.
Danny Jones
25 Posted 17/07/2012 at 12:51:52
What Osman lacks in pace he makes up for in mileage. I didn't see the same work ethic from Baxter on the, admittedly, few occasions I saw him play.

If he puts the work in he could have a good career elsewhere. Good luck to him.

By the way, blaming Moyes for a young player not making it is just daft.

Chris Verghoden
26 Posted 17/07/2012 at 13:03:04
The lad has the right to carve himself a career, so good luck to him. He clearly is not going to make it here and at 20 he must feel he needs to make a move now for regular footy. If I was him I certainly wouldn't be hanging around to make the numbers up.
Tom Bowers
27 Posted 17/07/2012 at 13:26:16
Wouldn't be the first ''wonder kid'' not to make it. i.e. Vaughan,Cadamartri,Jeffers etc. and does anyone remember the Irish whiz kid Martin Murray?
Steve Cotton
28 Posted 17/07/2012 at 13:31:05
Martin Murray!!!! He now works in a butchers in Ormskirk...
David Chait
29 Posted 17/07/2012 at 13:44:27
I don't buy some of the thoughts around Baxter as not fit enough, fast enough. He was player of the reserves (I stand corrected but I don't think this was the first time either). I always think of Gueye getting game time when he made Bilya look like Usain Bolt. Baxter said on Twitter he is timed as the 2nd fatest player in the reserves. I have also seen enough of his teamates tweeting on his profile about some of his amazing skills he would pull off in practice or a match.

That is why this one is such an enigma for me. I'm not one of those that expects every young hopeful to make it. I don't expect a future for Conor and am not actually even that excited about Hope. I didn't expect anything from James Wallace either and lost no sleep on that one (he was offered a contract like Baxter but also turned it down I think).

The only piece of evidence (and we who cant go to any reserve games) I can go on is that he has fallen off the England youth set up. That worried me endlessly and is quite telling in terms of his development. Still ... man I was hoping he was the next big thing.

Chris Morris
30 Posted 17/07/2012 at 14:28:59
Baxter's left.......so?

If he'd have stayed what would he have done? 4 years ago we all heard of a 16-year-old kid that was outstanding and he turned out to be aggresively mediocre.

People are saying he was slow, some are arguing he was quick. That doesn't matter either way because he simply isn't good enough. Striker or midfielder or whatever he is; he just simply isn't good enough.

Dave Weston
31 Posted 17/07/2012 at 14:42:33
He's not the first and certainly won't be the last player from any club to make the "the new Pele" or "the new Rooney" or whoever hype when as a youngster. He will still make a living out of the game but not the mega bucks as only the minority do. Good luck and wishes to him to go out there and prove at least a few of his detractors wrong and enjoy a good career. No reason for Moyes to make it even harder for him by asking for a fee.
Stephen Kenny
32 Posted 17/07/2012 at 14:51:43
I don't understand all the stick he's getting TBH.

Most who have commented about his ability or lifestyle don't even know him and probably haven't seen him play more than half an hour of football, why the vitriol?

To me a lad of 20 refusing a contract that he must know means another season of reserves footie, moving to a club hundreds of miles from his friends and family and at a different level, shows a lot of guts and belief in himself.

I hope it works out for him and I'll be keeping an eye out for him.

Good Luck Jose.

Andrew Ellams
33 Posted 17/07/2012 at 14:59:21
Another story that gets more comments than it would normally because there is bugger all else going on. The lad isn't good enough to oust the players we already have at the club so he gets the chance to kickstart his career somewhere else.

Maybe it will go right for him and we will see him back in the top flight sooner or later, wouldn't be the first and won't be the last.

Dave Weston
34 Posted 17/07/2012 at 14:58:58
I agree with Stephen (#425), give the kid a break. If it was their lad who has just made the biggest career decision in his short life, would they be saying the things as above? No, I very much doubt it. !!!!!!!!!!

So again... Good luck, Jose.

David Chait
35 Posted 17/07/2012 at 15:10:14
Yeah I like that Stephen 425.. almost gives it closure.
Michael Kenrick
36 Posted 17/07/2012 at 15:47:30
What a nonsense post from Tom Dodds (#368).

Baxter was offered a contract and turned it down. We don't know why but it's not hard to guess (see above).

The idea that contracts are being withheld from promising youth players because of financial restraints is patently ludicrous. They are far easier to carry than the aging has-beens Moyes seems to prefer (McFadden, Hahnemann, Weir).

You could make the arguement that they should be given more positive encouragement and playing time, but Moyes has shown over the years he isn't inclined to that approach. They get very limited chances to impress at the highest level. If they don't impress (or worst of all, make a mistake), then back down they go.


David Bridge
37 Posted 17/07/2012 at 16:22:05
Good luck to the lad but having seen him play in several reserve matches, he looked overweight, unfit and definitely not first team material.
Jimmy Kelly
38 Posted 17/07/2012 at 16:35:43
Quite right Michael, ludicrous management from Moyes.

Who does he think he is, dropping players who don't impress and end up going on a free to lower Championship or League 1 level clubs? Bloody idiot he is.

Get Garside on the blower and tell him to add that one to his article.

Amit Vithlani
39 Posted 17/07/2012 at 16:47:40
Reading Tom Bowers post #368 I sort of get the gist. If Tom is saying that a lack of cash resulted in EFC from either [a] not meeting the lad's wage demands or [b] offering a contract which was worse than the lad could get elsewhere then I don't see this as a rubbish point, as Michael Kenrick claims.

It is completely feasible that EFC have limited capacity to carry players on the wage bill who have potential but are not yet first team regulars. Baxter falls into this category – he has shown flashes (I remember a goal against Forest) but it literally has been flashes only.

Frankly, I don't understand the point about Hahnemann and McFadden – both have left the club already whereas Baxter was offered the chance to stay. Sounds like another excuse for a rant at the manager.

David Barks
40 Posted 17/07/2012 at 17:03:29
People had high expectations because he was coming up as a 16-year-old right after we lost Rooney. Out of hope and desperation people thought he would follow in Rooney's footsteps. He hasn't done so yet, and it was unrealistic to believe he would. We offered him another contract and it seems he's made the difficult decision to drop down and try to play regularly and advance his career. Good luck to him.
James Flynn
41 Posted 17/07/2012 at 17:00:19
Regarding finance, I'll add that we are definately not "skint". We have deep-pocketed owners. They just refuse to spend their own money.
Chris Morris
42 Posted 17/07/2012 at 17:34:19
Baxter's gone. Good luck to the lad, but he wasn't/isn't good enough.

That's it, nothing else to say

Tom Dodds
43 Posted 17/07/2012 at 18:23:12
Michael Kenrick/430.
Your comments where part of the mechanics of my quick post, that I never used... I knew and have posted here before the same analogy but, adding to what I said re Baxter, I know he turned it down (contract) but I bet it was because it was flawed money wise as well!
Tom Bowers
44 Posted 17/07/2012 at 18:33:03
Amit, It wasn't Tom Bowers's post #368 but Tom Dodds.
Chris Keher
45 Posted 17/07/2012 at 20:06:06
Great posts from Dodds and Kenrick.

Basically, we can't afford to keep players that will be the cheapest to keep and would offer the best value if we able to (therefore, have a dig at Kenwright).

Or we can afford to to keep them but it is Moyes' fault for not playing young players that have not impressed and have made mistakes at senior level (therefore, have a dig at Moyes). Moyes has never brought through a youngster after all.

Yawn.

Michael Kenrick
46 Posted 17/07/2012 at 20:12:55
I don't know what you may have missed from your first post, Tom Dodds, but talking about players being "deliberately kept in the nursery" and held back so that the club does not have to pay them much money (because the club is skint) seems complete nonsense to me. What would be the point of even having an Academy? Save a whole lot more money and ditch the lot!

Money will likely have been a factor with Baxter, but from the other comments it's reasonable to conclude that it's not the over-riding one. Not by a long way. The lad's been given the odd chance here and there (probably more than most to be fair), and he was given the chance to continue, which is actually better than most, who are released with no contract offer.

Amit (#439), the point about McFadden and Hahnemann is that, as senior reserve players, they were paid far more to sit on their arses than say any alternative promising youngsters from the Academy.

Youngsters who, incidentally are denied by their presence the potential opportunities to progress. Also by a fundamentally conservative unadventurous 'play it safe' manager who prefers to bring in 'cover' in the form of expensive and basically useless has-beens, rather than making a priority of giving young up-&-coming players from the Academy a better chance.

All I'm suggesting is that, perhaps more encouragement given to young players to move forward, rather than having then clearly being held back (cleaning boots?) and restricted in terms of potential opportunity — NOT for money reasons but purely in the interests of 'correct development' — may actually work negatively in terms of their development. It harkens back to the season when Rooney was coming through, and Moyes clearly held him back; but that's his style, and there are of course his acolytes who say he can do no wrong.

I think there's enough evidence (Rooney, Rodwell, Barkley... perhaps Baxter?) to suggest something of a pattern here. But we can never know with any certainty because it's the path not taken. No-one will ever know.

Matt Traynor
47 Posted 17/07/2012 at 20:58:15
Given one of the tenets of our financial woes is the need to develop first team players through the academy, I think the performance has been woeful over the past decade. Rooney aside, who was an exceptional talent to come through, we should also have had more players coming through than we have, to at least allow us to recover some costs by selling them on if they don't quite make the grade at Everton. We've sold Vaughan, for what, £2m? Rodwell and Barkley remain current hopefuls - either solid first teamer (then sold for £10m+), or sold on for £2.3m if they fail to cut it.

For a club that supposedly puts a lot of stock into growing their own, I don't think they're delivering.

Dan Brierley
48 Posted 17/07/2012 at 20:45:22
Michael, the only pattern here, is your never ending crusade about how David Moyes is the root of all evil. You are beginning to sound like one of those guys that believes the americans REALLY DO have aliens locked up in Area 51.

I watched James McFadden come on against United, and I watched him set up two goals. so your useless quote is easily negated by...reality. I think you would make a great boxing coach Michael. 'right son, for your first fight I've got you set up with this guy called Klitschko. Its better to put you up against the best as you will learn more innit? This is the best way to develop, get stuck in'

For me, the Baxter situation seems pretty clear. He thinks he is better than the contract he was offered, so has decided to become a free agent. I don't see any conspiracy, just simply he is not a better player than what we currently have available, and nor does he show signs of becoming a first team regular. Conspiracy closed. Back to the transfer trash talk.

Tom Dodds
49 Posted 17/07/2012 at 21:09:14
Mike 466

Your views are identical to my own. On reflection, Baxter might well have been a nearly-player.

The youth academy system at the Finch Farm complex is near enough second to no other club set-up in bringing on younger players. It's becoming more and more puzzling as the seasons roll on, just what the bloody hell is going on to give them 1st team action?!?

McAleny came on against Arsenal for 10 mins, and raised eyebrows; Barkley started to have a run till `that` mistake... etc. I can't list them all here... Oh, and Duffy!..

It seems Moyes is stuck fast in the paranoia of his mistrust of anyone that isn't ready/tried/trusted work-ethically trojan. Surely his constant reticence at giving the younger lads a go is creating a rift in the perceptive aspirations of the youth? A bit like kids stuck in schools knowing there`s little future in the job market...

Not to rant on, but why oh why is he (Moyes) buggering around with bits 'n' pieces £1-2 mill players on loan?? WTF is it saying to these kids who are not getting any chances DESPITE how they're playing in the reserves?? What happened to thr young lads who wanted to join Everton because they knew they would get a shot in the first team?

We only need Donavan, Pienaar and Co, then we'll be called the Over-thirties club soon... (I know for now.) But will they wait?
Andy Crooks
50 Posted 17/07/2012 at 21:39:17
Dan, we will lose young players because they don't get a proper run in the side. Duffy came in, was good and then was dropped. I believe with a run in the side he would be the best centre back at the club. He won;t get it, Neither will Barkley. Brief appearances as subs destroy careers; James Vaughan is a fine example.

To get a chance our young players don't have to be better than the first team they have to be miles better, Players can only be judged with a run in the first team, yet Moyes prefers Cahill, Neville, Jagielka even when they are out of form or past it. It's not to do with saving money but about the built in conservatism of the coach.


The only hope for a young player is an injury to an old favourite. Good luck to Baxter; I don't know how good he is, nor do I think does David Moyes.

Mark Gargan
51 Posted 17/07/2012 at 22:09:50
It is difficult for young players to get the necessary experience to mature at Premier League clubs. There must be players who, if they played regularly for a season or so, would develop and be better than the senior pros who keep them out of the team. The problem is that until they have had that experience they are likely to make mistakes and are not as good as the senior pros who are keeping them out of the team.

Strong teams like United have played younger players against weaker teams and been sufficiently good to win even if the youngster makes a couple of mistakes. We have to be at our best to win any of our games and therefore only play the younger players when we have to. That is why the Europa League was useful as it seemed to be a way of allowing young players to gain experience in an environment less frenetic than the Premier League. I am not sure what the answer is other than to loan players out – but this means that they are not available if we do get injuries.
Barry Stevens
52 Posted 17/07/2012 at 22:48:30
I'm not pro-Moyes but can't believe he's getting stick for this. The reason Baxter hasn't played more is down to his ability. I can remember him scoring a cracker volley vs red shite reserves in the last four years and that's it.
Terence McKernan
53 Posted 18/07/2012 at 12:31:02
He was never going to make it at Everton anyway.

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