Season › 2020-21 › News Virginia pens new long-term deal with the Blues Lyndon Lloyd Tuesday, 22 September, 2020 23comments | Jump to most recent Everton have underlined their belief in goalkeeper Joao Virginia by handing the 20-year-old a new four-year contract at the club. Signed from Arsenal's academy two years ago, Virginia has been Jordan Pickford's back-up at first-team level so far this season as Jonas Lössl deals with a back problem and made his full debut last week in the Carabao Cup against Salford City. The Portuguese, who had a loan spell cut short at Reading last season after he made just two appearances, is expected to be between the sticks again tomorrow as the Blues visit Fleetwood Town in the third round of the same competition. “It is a bright future for me here at the Club and I am so positive about it and so happy to sign this new deal,” Virginia told evertontv. “I feel at home here and have done since the day I joined. Article continues below video content "Everybody at the Club made me welcome, the fans have been terrific with me, too, so I'm so pleased to sign again. “Mr Carlo is giving me the confidence I needed and for such an experienced manager to give me the thumbs up every day in training makes me feel even more confident. “It is amazing. The faith of Marcel Brands means a lot, too.” Reader Comments (23) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Kevin Prytherch 1 Posted 22/09/2020 at 15:39:58 How he is still occasionally turning out for the U23s is beyond me. He's 20 now and obviously not going to make it. Just another example of Unsworth planning for his next U23 trophy. It beggars belief. Jay Wood[BRZ] 2 Posted 22/09/2020 at 15:51:49 Kevin..!We Shall Have a Fishy... Tony Everan 3 Posted 22/09/2020 at 15:57:31 Kevin #1, Disgraceful, Lock em up! Mike Gaynes 4 Posted 22/09/2020 at 15:59:47 Ever the provocateur, Kevin. Des Farren 5 Posted 22/09/2020 at 15:59:50 He's made it to a 4-year contract and, with our current number one, anything is possible. Mike Keating 6 Posted 22/09/2020 at 16:10:26 We should have made a bid for Martinez and added some real kick-up-the-arse competition for the No 1 spot. Rob Dolby 7 Posted 22/09/2020 at 16:19:33 Roberto is a bit too small to be a goalie even in his Brown Cuban heels. Peter Gorman 8 Posted 22/09/2020 at 17:28:48 Kevin, have you started posting under the name 'Antony Kelly' of late? Kevin Prytherch 9 Posted 22/09/2020 at 17:53:28 Ha ha. I was hoping Antony would quickly agree and spark another debate!! Olalekan Taofik 10 Posted 22/09/2020 at 18:02:01 Good luck to him and he should be working hard. His time will surely come..He should be keep cool,calm and collected.Good day you all dearest Evertonians and if you are seeing my post for the first time. Am part of you from LAGOS,NIGERIA. Mike Gaynes 11 Posted 22/09/2020 at 18:07:11 We fishies are starting to recognize your bait, Kev. Dave Abrahams 12 Posted 22/09/2020 at 18:32:43 Okalekan (10), saw all your happy posts on ToffeeWeb last week and enjoyed them, keep them coming, another Bluenose, welcome to the clan.By the way, Okalekan, beware of Kevin (9), he says one thing and means another!!! Phill Thompson 13 Posted 22/09/2020 at 19:22:39 Kevin #1, spot on needed to be said. The last straw for me was giving Mo Besic a new contract “ so he could bring his experience to the U23s”. Bill Gienapp 14 Posted 22/09/2020 at 19:40:54 He seemed a very promising prospect, so hopefully he's gotten past his disastrous loan stint at Reading. It was hard to read much into his performance against Salford City.Meanwhile, Jonas Lössl is doing... something around Finch Farm, I guess. Joe McMahon 15 Posted 22/09/2020 at 19:49:28 Kevin @1, still playing the pantomime villain I see. Just remember your hero Blue Bill wants Unsworth at the cub. Steve Ferns 16 Posted 22/09/2020 at 23:22:23 Pleased for Joao. Despite his nightmare loan last season, he's clearly still highly rated. I see all the attributes to make it at the top, but lacking a bit of distribution skills. Plenty to work on, especially the mental side of things, which is why keepers develop later. Looks like Joao is likely to edge Lössl down to third choice.Okalekan, what's Joey Yobo and Daniel Amokachi up to these days? Kieran Kinsella 17 Posted 22/09/2020 at 23:27:43 I know it's only Fleetwood but, with a novice goalie and makeshift centre-half, I wouldn't risk playing a bunch of jokers in midfield. Defeat could cause our confidence to evaporate. Mal van Schaick 18 Posted 23/09/2020 at 08:10:39 If Ancelotti has faith in him, he must have a good future. Competition for Pickford. Olalekan Taofik 19 Posted 23/09/2020 at 12:40:44 At Dave #12 & Steve #16 (my name is spelt Olalekan, not Okalekan). Thanks for your compliments at Dave #12. As for Kevin #9, I will keep my eagle eye, he must be 'ironical' in nature (smiles).Joey Yobo is current Assitant Manager of Nigeria National Team and Amokachi is Special Adviser on Sport to Nigeria President. That's great for the Everton ex-Players. Ajay Gopal 20 Posted 23/09/2020 at 16:00:40 Hi Olalekan, is it true that Iwobi is related somehow to Joseph Yobo? Olalekan Taofik 21 Posted 23/09/2020 at 16:23:55 Ajay (20), Iwobi is JayJay Okocha's nephew, not Joey Yobo. David Ellis 22 Posted 25/09/2020 at 02:23:22 Okocha – what a player he was. Albert Perkins 23 Posted 25/09/2020 at 04:05:32 Now we have Romero back in the frame. 33, experienced, played well in Man Utd's cup runs last season, living locally etc. I wonder? Nah... we don't want another Man Utd cast-off, do we? Do we? Maybe. 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