Broadhead goes out on loan

Disappointed with this.

At 21 most of the lads who are currently being let go we’re cutting it in the Championship.

If they can’t make the grade while holding their own in the Championship, what chance does Broadhead have going to League 1?

Kev, I think the manager and the playing time are more important than the level. Clough really wanted him badly.

From the BBC article, quoting the club website:

He is the Toffees' current under-23 player of the year, having progressed through the Goodison Park academy.

"He was the one we had in mind as soon as Marcus Harness left," Burton manager Nigel Clough told the club website.

"We have had to wait, but the most important thing is that we have got him. He has been away with Everton's first team pre-season, which is a very good sign.

"He can also play in a wide position and in training he looked very comfortable. It's an exciting signing for us."

Broadhead has signed a new deal and is heading for Burton Albion on loan.

Mike, I'm with Kev. I always rated Broadhead. He's not quite got the skills and technique of Antony Evans or Anthony Gordon, but he's quick and he's tenacious. I was pleaded to see him be given, and then take, his chances in Pre-Season. I did not expect for one minute that he would suddenly make the first team squad, and so a loan always seemed likely. however, going from the fringe of a Premier League side, by playing well in Pre-Season to League 1 seems a bit of a drop.

Nathan is now 21. Imagine he does as well as you could dream. He comes back next summer and he is 22. He's done well in League 1, and you couldn't give him game time in the Premier League on the back of it, instead it's off to the Championship for a year. Which means he's then 23 before you can consider him for the first team. By which point, he is likely trying to dislodge a very expensive international in his place, who is probably younger than he is!

I can't now see a scenario whereby he makes it, not unless he is nothing short of sensational and comes back in January and then goes to a Championship club. Broadhead will not be sensational, he's not that explosive. Instead, he will be steady, consistent and provide many 7 and 8 out of 10 performances that should warrant a step up in level the following season.

I wish him all the best, and hope he does well.

Nigel has got himself a diamond who will end up their player of the season. A win win for all concerned.

On the subject of young players, I see arsenal have got a £10million bid for a player who’s played for them twice but did well in the championship last year.

We need to crack this top 6 so the Robinsons, Pennington's, Connelly’s and Williams of this world are sold for decent money. We’ll make a fortune.

I agree with Steve@4, the standard of our first team has gone up and so many of these youngsters, though talented will simply not get enough of a look in. Any Everton youngster who stands a good shot at our first team should really be able to get regular playing time in the championship by age 21/22.

If Broadhead really excels at Burton then maybe he gets to be a regular next season in the championship but chances are that even if he manages those two steps up he'd return to be fighting against £25-50m wingers for a starting spot with us. Its a big ask. But best of luck to him.

It's exactly what you do with the best young talent that are not going to be playing never mind starting Premier league games.

Contract up until 24 years of age. They have 2 or 3 years playing regular first team football and then decide if they are good enough for us or sell on for a few million.

Most players that are going to make it at the top level will show that they are capable by that age. If not, they will hopefully still make a career out of the game at a lower level.

Sadly Lookman and Vlassic have been sold. But I believe they are good enough.

Dowell is 90% there and hopefully a few others will break into the first team over the next few years.

Until then, playing real football against professionals is the best football education they can get.

Disagree with your logic Steve that players have to paaa through some sort of hierarchy of leagues.

Van Dijk came from Scotland, level of League 1 at best apart from
Celtic, he Adapted well.

Dele Alli came from League 1 also, and burst onto the PL scene.

Years ago Defoe was on loan at League 2 (3rd Division) Bournemouth before cementing his place in West Ham's first 11.

Our own Osman was on loan at Carlisle if I remember rightly.

And there are countless examples of players jumping leagues and excelling.

What matters is the manager playing him in the right position, good coaches, and at the end of the day, talent. If broadhead is good enough, he'all prove himself to be.

15-20 goals in league 1 and he could be ready to push our first team next season.

The under 23 team has had marvellous success, but how many of them, in recent times, have gone on to be regular premiership players ? A couple maybe at the lower end of the table.

Success at youth level is just that, to suppose it can be a conveyor belt for premiership stars is a fantasy, unfortunately. Davies is about the only current player whose made it and he's only a squad player at best.

Good luck to Broadhead by the way.

To be honest, for all the success the U23’s have had over the last few years they are not an attractive team to watch, they play to a mainly defensive system and it is very hard for the forwards playing like this, mostly one up front chasing and harrying the opposition, I think David Unsworth bases his strategy on 80% defence and hopes for a two or three chances going forward.

Broadhead may find it harder to play physically in this league but easier mentally, he’ll get plenty of attacking space and he is clever enough to make use of it, as Steve Ferns says Nathan is not a fancy Dan completely orthodox and gets on with doing a professional job that helps the team. I wish him well.

I do like this lad, and what he lacks in skill he certainly makes up for in tenacity. I would have like to see him get a slightly more challenging loan spell with a Championship Club, and preferably one that is likely to be in the running for promotion, come the end of the season.

Still we will monitor his progress and see what transpires.

It’s a hard route to becoming a first team squad member for any young players at Premier League clubs - and those that get close but ultimately fall short are not guaranteed to transfer for significant money. The much hyped Reece Oxford just moved from West Ham to Augsburg for around £2 million - roughly the same price we got for Antonee Robinson. England Under 21’s Kasey Palmer just moved from Chelsea to Bristol City for not much more. For Broadhead, the most important thing is surely game-time; it is only by playing regularly that it will become clear what he is capable of for next season.

This business of going out on loan is, in my opinion, eventually gonna kill all chances of homegrown talent making the grade.

The Premier League clubs are chasing all over the world for players, signing them for way-over-the-top fees and finishing up in lots of cases with talent no better than what we have in the academies.

Last year's signing of Mina is just one example of wasted money; he will never make the grade in the Premier League.