Lost Youth
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Not sure if this topic has been done before but my mind wandered off in a random direction this weekend...
I've been excited for a while about James Vaughan and to a lesser extent Victor Anichebe but am starting to think they might not come through ? especially if they don't actually get any playing time. This got me to thinking of all the "great hopes" we heard about from the youth team who either flattered to deceive or just disappeared from view.
What is our best team of the players who never were ? ie not a Rooney or Dunne who made it elsewhere but the players who were hyped to be world beaters who never lived up to it.
Team I've got to start is (lacking a keeper and a left back):
1
2 Jon O'Connor
3
4 Steve Schumacher
5 Peter Clarke
6 John Ebbrell
7 Tony Grant
8 Billy Kenny
9 Francis Jeffers
10 Michael Branch
11 Danny Cadamarteri
Also, I have a distant memory in the 70s of a young lad called Martin (?) Murray who we got from Home Farm and was meant to be the next George Best ? or did I make him up?
Damian Kelly,
Berkshire Posted 27/10/2008 at 11:47:15
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Damien.
The lad you are thinking of is Martin Murray. Northern Irish lad I think... he was touted as the next George Best but if memory serves me right, he picked up a couple of bad injuries, which in the old days effectively ended your career. Think the lad got homesick as well.
I have thought for some time that James Vaughan really needs a loan out for a few months (maybe let Irvine have him at Preston), and even Victor too! Let them get a good run of games somewhere! Since we are gonna be short on cup games this season, I say let Vaughan go in January, 'til the end of the season. 5 minutes here and there for Everton wont do him much good, compared to full games in the Championship!
I remember Neil Moore having an outstanding debut away at Old Trafford but then slipping away and down the leagues, and O?Kane from Man Utd was tipped to be a good prospect, too, but he couldn?t get into their first team because of the Nevilles and he, too, lost his way after he arrived here...
What ever happened to Jon O?Connor, is he still playing somewhere? I remember Joe Royle saying he would be a future Everton captain.
I?d argue about Jeffers, he was great for us first time and went to Arsenal for £10 mill. I?d put Stuart Barlow in there instead. As for a GK we could go for James Speare, anyone remember him, not sure if the current pair (Ruddy and Turner) count as they were brought from outside, but if we include them then we also have Steve Simonsen. Left Back ? none really spring to mind I?d consider Michael Ball a success.
As for Vaughn and Anichebe, would you really drop Yakubu and Saha for them? I agree we should send one out on loan but need to keep one as back up. And the idea of them going to Preston seems logical.
I certainly hope Rodwell, Baxter, Vic and Vaughan don’t end up on that list in a few years time.
Can’t think of a keeper, but remember there was a ginger haired left-back who Bally kept out of the team... can’t remember his name but he showed real promise. O’Connor and Clarke both seemed to excel at reserve level, then never quite made it in the 1st team.
What’s happened to Paddy Boyle?
I remember Neil Moore too, but it was while he was on loan at Blackpool (where I live, went to watch them as a kid) and he looked excellent at that level, went on to Burnley I think! Also, Peter Clarke went to Blackpool and was easily their best player and made it to the England U21?s whilst captaining the Blackpool side! The pair of them fell short in the Premier League though!
I don’t think Michael Branch was ever touted as a world beater, most of these players found their level in the lower leagues.
Billy Kenny possibly had the most potential out of all these players, with John Ebbrell probably playing the most games for us.
If you go to any club, it?s the same situation. Players get hyped up because they are young and most people don?t actually watch them but rather hear about them from a mate of a mate but aren?t actually that good. I doubt Anichebe will ever get to the level where he is our first choice striker ? decent squad player but nothing more. Vaughan, however, if he can finally get rid of the injuries, is a much better player.
What about Mark Hughes or was he never touted to be great? And no I'm not on about the City manager who played for us when he was a fossil...
I think it might be Adam Eaton you were thinking of Duncan, scored a good goal in the FA Youth Cup Final. Don?t know were he ended up though...
For a left-back you have Kevin McLeod - looked a great prospect at left back or midfield under Walter Smith but never pushed on. Now at Brighton via QPR, Swansea, Colchester. Had great left foot crossing ability as I recall from a friendly vs Tranmere..
Left-back spot has to go to Daniel Fox who was released two or three years ago, went to Walsall, then signed last season by Coventry and picked for England under-21 squad.
Players now;
How about Irving, our reserve player of the year the last 2 seasons? Will he come through?
Also James Wallace ? who is he?
Any other young players anyone knows about who we haven't quite seen yet?
That just leaves the keeper really as Simonsen did not come through the ranks. In our class of 1998 we had an irish lad in goal Dean Delaney I guess he was released but I don?t know where he ended up.
As for the current stars of the future the two that stand out would be Redmond and Hope from the under 15 team that won the Milk Cup this summer in grand style.
What about Mark Hughes. Or was he never touted as a talent
I’m not sure if I’ve got the name right but I seem to recall Nick Chadwick(?) who seemed like he might make a player.Does anyone know what became of him?
I think I remember Alan Ball talking glowingly about a Jimmy Coyle (Coin?). Never heard of him since and can find no trace. Am I dreamin.
Andy Crooks
Ironically Nick Chadwick helped keep one of our current "future stars" Luke Jutkiewicz out of the Plymouth starting line up all last year.
With regard to some of the aforementioned Billy Kenny was good but was a junkie which destroyed his career and life. I remember when Cadamarteri was supposedly being linked with Inter Milan 5 games into his Everton career. Jeffers I always thought was over rated as his shot was weak and he was lightweight.
Some more that spring to mind as failures though are:
Jamie Milligan in the late 90?s
Phil Jevons, fomer N Ireland player Iain Jenkins,
in the 80?s championship side we had Neil Adams, Neil Pointon, Kevin Langley, Warren Aspinall, Stuart Rimmer etc who all got medals then disappeared without a trace
and under Moyes we?ve seen a lot such as Vidarsson, Plessis, Spencer etc
I remember that John Hills was highly thought of at left back. Came from Blackpool and I think he went back there.
I think I even remember one by the name of Jamie Milligan (name something like that) from a few years back in midfield. I think there was meant to be a few in that group whow were promising but none went on. I think Jeffers might have been from that group though.
Graham Allen !? Remember him ? He was pretty good for Tranmere.
In relatively modern times, for goalkeeper, who else but the forgettable Australian, Jason Kearton - played a few first team games.
Andrew Cunningham
Posted 28/10/2008 at 09:47:23
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There?s a Dean Delaney playing in goal for Shelbourne in Ireland.
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1 Posted 27/10/2008 at 14:46:48
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The lad you are thinking of is Martin Murray. Northern Irish lad I think... he was touted as the next George Best but if memory serves me right, he picked up a couple of bad injuries, which in the old days effectively ended your career. Think the lad got homesick as well.