Attacking midfielder Charlie Whitaker joined Everton at the age
of 12 having previously been at Blackburn Rovers.
He made his
Under-18 debut shortly before the 2019-20 campaign was curtailed by the
coronavirus pandemic. At U18 level, he was initially
one of 3 or 4 players used in rotation, often coming on as a sub, but
he seemed to have the knack of scoring goals frequently for a midfielder, even from the subs bench.
Charlie signed a 3-year professional contract in September 2020
and followed it with an excellent season for the U18s, taking the young
Player of the Season award. He was elevated to the Under-23 side before
the end of the season.
He tends to play behind the striker in
the middle, like a No 10 role, picking up the ball, moving it forward,
tackling when needed.
He played his part in the 2021 FA Youth Cup run and really
taking his chances with the U23s by scoring goals including a hat-trick
against Southampton.
He’s very willing to work hard in
midfield alongside or behind a striker . He strikes the ball well but
not in a spectacular way, he’s quick but not exceptionally speedy.
He
gets up well to head the ball, he’s comparatively
slight but holds his own. His football brain has set
him apart so far, speed of thought, being in the right place at the
right time, playing the right ball, playing with maturity for one so
young.
Whitaker proved to more than comfortable at the
higher age group, scoring that final-day hat-trick in a 4-0 defeat of
Southampton to end with five goals from four starts for the U23s.
Both Whitaker and the U23s struggled in the new season, with so many
of the older and more experienced players encouraged to move on in a
purge intended to lower the average age. But an unintended consequence
was that it significantly reduced their competitive edge and damaged the
team environment that players like Whitaker needed in order to thrive.
Whitaker was a key creative figure for the U23s with his lively
running, excellent passing and a nose for scoring some fine goals. But
he was out of action with an injury for nearly 3 months in mid-season,
and that put paid to any further progression on the pathway to
first-team football that his efforts really deserved.
In January 2025, an approach to sigm him on a permanent basis was made by Notts County and he agreed to join the League Two club.
