Everton U21s will be in Group A of next season's EFL Trophy

Michael Kenrick Thursday, 24 June, 2021 6comments | Jump to most recent

Everton will field a team of Under-21 players from their Category One Academy as one of 16 senior clubs participating in the variously named EFL Trophy (previously the Checkatrade Trophy, the Leasing.com Trophy).

For the upcoming 2021-22 season, it is called the Papa John's Trophy. Everton declined to field a team last season, citing fixture congestion for the Under-23 squad who only competed in Premier League 2. (There was no Premier League Cup nor Premier League International Cup competitions last season.)

Everton's youngsters will face the senior first-team sides from Carlisle, Morecambe and Hartlepool in northern Group A of the controversial competition, which sees Academy sides from Premier League clubs take on senior professional teams from Lower League clubs in the Football League. Critics claim this inserts Premier League B, or Academy U21 teams into the traditional English football pyramid.

The group format gives way to a knock-out competition in the later stages. No Premier League club's U21 academy side has reached the final in 6 years of the competition so far.

Reader Comments (6)

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Geoff Williams
1 Posted 24/06/2021 at 20:06:28

Please give it a real go this season. The kids will learn so much from playing against battle-hardened players of the lower divisions.

Alan J Thompson
2 Posted 25/06/2021 at 11:28:59

I'd be interested in the original reason for this competition. Obviously, it gives promising youngsters a chance to try themselves against senior competition but how does it affect lower League clubs financially?

Kevin Prytherch
3 Posted 25/06/2021 at 12:08:42

I think the original reason was just that Alan, to give academies the chance to play against seasoned pro's. There were calls a few years ago for B teams, Moyes was a strong advocate, and I think this came in shortly after as kind of a sweetener.

In terms of finances, I live in Oldham and went to watch the U23's play them a few years ago. There were about 1000 fans there, so a can only imagine it wouldn't be worth much more than £20k a match in terms of fans turning up. It's better than nothing though. Oldham didn't play their first team either (I think they have to play 6 regulars), so it is good for them to give fringe players a go. My abiding memories are of Unsworth changing the shape in the second half and is losing all impotence, and of Peter Clarke playing like an experienced defender should and barely giving Sambou a kick all game.

Alan J Thompson
4 Posted 26/06/2021 at 03:26:43

Thanks, Kevin, and I suppose players even at that level are on contracts so there wouldn't be any additional wages to pay but does that mean it's 20 quid to get in or are you including the half time tea and pie?

Kieran Kinsella
5 Posted 26/06/2021 at 04:13:12

I couldn't understand why we bailed last year.

Phill Thompson
6 Posted 26/06/2021 at 19:42:01

Kieran, from memory the official reason seemed to be a mixture of fixture congestion and we didn't want to expose our very young players too early. The way the season developed I can see some sense in the later, as youngsters 16/17 would have been thrown in. Now, a year on they will be better prepared.

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