Hope Akpan

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Hope Akpan was born  in Liverpool and has been with the Everton Academy since he was a young lad.

Akpan started playing for the Under-18s in 2007 and has been a regular ever since, graduating to Everton Reserves in 2008.  He signed professional papers in November 2008 but was not listed among the senior squad until the following season, when injuries really decimated David Moyes's senior side.

He also featured in a couple of the 2009 pre-season games, coming on as a sub against Bury, and he got to sit on the bench a few times (including at Bolton & Chelsea) during the 2009-10 season.

Akpan got his baptism at the top level when Jack Rodwell pulled up with a hamstring injury just 8 mins into the final Europa League group game against BATE Borisov, when most of his mates from the Reserves were already on the field.  He didn't play a great game unfortunately, looking way out of his depth at this level. 

He didn�t look very assured in the centre-midfield position, his first touch was shocking, his passing was wayward, and he looked off the pace. So it was back to the reserves and the under-18s for a little more grooming.

It was perhaps no surprise when he became one of the many young players farmed out on loan as Everton's financial constraints grew ever tighter through a dismall 2010-11 season, the youngster going out on loan in March after not getting the feintest sniff of the senior subs bench.

He went to Hull City but only started one game and made one sub appearance.  That was probably a sign that his future would not be with Everton and he was duly released at the end of the 2010-11 season.  On 14 June 2011, he signed for Crawley Town, newly promted to the Football League.

By Michael Kenrick
Last updated June 2011