Blues pick up goalkeeping prospect from City

, 15 February, 14comments | Jump to most recent

Everton have fought off what is reputed to have been stiff competition to add 16-year-old Joe Hilton to the Finch Farm Academy, report the Liverpool Echo.

The 6'-5" player signs a two-year scholarship deal with Everton who already have 'keepers Ciaran O’Loughlin and Ben Pierce on the books.

Hilton arrives from Manchester City U18s for whom he already featured, having made his debut at that level aged just 15.

Reader Comments (14)

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Paul Kossoff
1 Posted 16/02/2016 at 15:38:35

Let's hope the lad is here long after our current manager has gone and taken Howard and Kone with him. Can you imagine if Howard was our goalkeeper coach? "Right lads, stay on the line and do star jumps." Kone our striker coach: "Slow down, lads, now dither, dither..."

Dave Abrahams
2 Posted 16/02/2016 at 16:10:55

What is the reason he has left Manchester City? Did they release him or have Everton offered him a better deal?

Brian Wilkinson
3 Posted 16/02/2016 at 18:24:13

Dave, he saw Joe Hart in Man City's goal and Howard in ours; common sense prevailed.

Brent Stephens
4 Posted 16/02/2016 at 18:35:26

Might be good if he grows a bit.

Eugene Ruane
5 Posted 16/02/2016 at 19:08:56

6' 5"?

Great, now spend a couple of years banging steaks and spuds into him, build up his weight, teach him to come off his line (and plough through all hands) and we might be in business.

In fact I'd be happy with 5' 6" if he'd come off his line, rather than employing the current Everton goalie method - looking like an extra from a 1950s alien flick - wide-eyed, rooted to the spot and open-mouthed as though a flying saucer (ie: hub-cap) is hovering above.

Dave Abrahams
6 Posted 16/02/2016 at 19:20:50

Brian (3) nice one !!!

Graham Mockford
7 Posted 16/02/2016 at 19:32:19

By the first post the thread turns into more anti Tim Howard stuff.

All we need now is Jim Hardin to turn up and tell us we are lucky be in the presence of a goalkeeping genius, Jay Wood to write a 30 paragraph dissertation on why he is right most of the time and of course Eugene or John to be funnier than everyone else.

Harold Matthews
8 Posted 17/02/2016 at 04:50:03

I recently watched a video of goalkeeping training at Finch Farm.

About 20 lads of various ages gathered early in the morning. Some permanent, some trialists, some visiting for practice etc... The first thing they did was split into two groups and jog off on a long steady run.

They then worked very hard at shot-stopping with hands and feet. Guarding a small goal, they were pelted with shots from different angles from the outfield keepers. All from 10 yards or less.

This carried on for quite some time, after which they split into groups of four or five for technical foot training. A must in the modern game. Various pass and save training using only the feet.

At no time did I see set-piece practice or lads coming off the line to catch crosses. A youngster named Mateus Hewelt was so good with his feet he ought to consider the position of centre back. He certainly has the intelligence, height and ability. In a 20-yard shoot-out competition he won 10-0.

Brian Wilkinson
9 Posted 17/02/2016 at 07:00:24

I still don't know why we have not given Neville Southall a coaching role, to help our goal keepers.

If ever a player deserved some role at Everton, it has to be Neville Southall.

Nick Entwistle
10 Posted 17/02/2016 at 12:34:36

Harold, I forget where I saw it, but with the need for keepers to be decent with the ball at their feet in the modern game, clubs are taking outfield players who probably wont make it, and training them to go between the sticks. Providing they're the right size and shape.

Brian, given the size Southall he could fill the goal and never concede.

Dennis Ng
11 Posted 17/02/2016 at 12:43:45

Nick, that's how I remembered Southall also LOL

Harold, that kid does sound like a good sweeper keeper prospect. Is he in our U21 games? If he can actually play the CB role a bit, I think the whole "rush off the line" issue is moot.

Brin Williams
12 Posted 17/02/2016 at 13:19:23

No one will ever touch Nev - he was/is nothing but the best.
BUT he will never feature as an Everton Trainer 'cos he say's it as it is and that upsets people - if you know what I mean!!

Peter Lee
13 Posted 17/02/2016 at 16:11:20

Often wonder when people decided that star jump attempts to save shots/put strikers off was poor practice. The first keeper I remember doing this was Peter Schmiechel. Can't recall him getting much criticism for that, or anything come to think of it.

Years ago, I did some goal-keeper coaching when studying for an FA coaching badge. Most of it was individually skill based, much as Harold describes. The assessing coaches were from EFC. They explained that the relationship and trust between GKs and CB pairings was essential and they worked on that with the different squads, first-team, reserves, A team, B team and youth as it was then. Made sense then, probably little different now I suspect.

Harold Matthews
14 Posted 17/02/2016 at 19:10:18

Cheers Nick. Didn't know that.

Dennis. He was with the U21s. Think Gray may be there at present.

By the way, apart from Stanek who has since departed, all the keepers hated the pain of having tennis balls pelted at them.

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