Small 'relaxed' about first Everton contract

Man Utd cleared the way for Beckham and Co – it's a chance worth taking if (I repeat) Small is that good.

Do me a favour!

Actually credit the lad for wanting first-team playing time. Realistically, with the first choice French international left-back in front of him, that's not happening any time soon at Everton.

If this is true, I actually like to see a footballer making a football decision rather than a financial one.

I admire the player if it is solely down to playing first-team footy but he would not get into the other teams mentioned monitoring the situation or walk into any Championship or League One sides at the moment.

Imho, the club need to provide a clear path to first-team footy, ie, U23s this year, on loan in League Two next season, then League One, then Championship etc, which should take the player to 19 or 20 years of age. With plenty of game time under the belt to develop, maybe then he could be Digne's natural successor.

From what I have seen of him, he has something but, like most young players, is inconsistent and he isn't a Wayne Rooney or Messi, so my advice to him would be "Relax, bide your time, as you are at the right club to develop as a player and could be in the first team by the time our new stadium opens."

I said to sell Digne ”if Small is that good”! Is he a Rooney, albeit a defender, or is he just a kid with promise? If the former, we can't afford to lose him; if not, then he must be developed here or moved on.

16 years old and he has a "camp".

Don't suppose it's Tawd Vale with the cub scouts. (19th Aintree, sixer, vice capt and scorer of the extra time winner the cup final – right here – thank you!)

I am not surprised other clubs are queuing up to lure him, he looks to me from the very few times I above seen him play like a real quality prospect.

If he wants a bit more money to get him to stay then pay him it. Give him some assurances he will get opportunities. It will be money well spent, and recoverable if he wants to move on in a few years.

The issue is Nkounkou ahead of him in the queue . The manager and his backroom will be having discussions about both players strengths and whether they need to be in direct competition with each other.

Potentially, if Digne moves on in a couple of years, with Nkounkou and Small primed to take over the role we could have a very strong left side for the long term.

Interesting! Here's a link to info on Lewis Warrington
Link
But the picture shown on the right is of a Lewis Warrington, US navy 19th century.

The thing this highlights for me is how important it is to be in Europe and progress in the cups. People sometimes argue that this causes fixture congestion, but the more games you have, the more quality players you can keep happy by giving them game time.

If we have two games a week, every week next season, then Nkounkou can start more often and Small can begin to have first-team involvement as 3rd choice at the age of 17. He's unlikely to get that anywhere else.

It’s a money game, doesn’t start that way, but it’s what it eventually becomes, and earning more money sometimes creates a more difficult pathway, so hopefully the kid is advised properly.

7 step overs might look good but when the outcome is a goal kick to the opposition, it shows you the lad has a lot to learn. Understandably. He's 16. Let him make mistakes and learn, but not in the first team. Not in anyone's first team. It will ruin him.

Good judges of a footballer are giving him a shout. Will keep an eye on him

I can't remember to be honest but at a guess I think it was a troop from the Old Roan they were thought of as posh kids at the time. I do remember the final being played somewhere in Warbreck and completely losing it after scoring.😆

If heaven is a collection of great personal experiences that one is on my list.

For example, some friends of ours, who are retired and have a large house, provide lodgings for LFC Academy players. A few years back, they had a big African lad who was a centre-back and was the "next big thing"; at the same time, they had an unremarkable goalkeeper who nobody talked about.

The centre-back has disappeared without trace, while the goalie was Peter Gulacsi, now playing at the top of the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig.

Meanwhile back on planet earth, as Barry said, a 16-year-old with 'a camp', FFS! I wonder if Paul Stretford carries a picture of him in his wallet and disappears off to the gents for quick one?