Everton have a new batch of young players who have become full-time scholars in the Under-18 squad for next season.
Ademide Akarakiri
Attacking-midfielder Akarakiri joined Everton this season after spending 10 years at Arsenal. The young prospect – who is from London – describes running with the ball as his best attribute, along with his passing range.
Freddie Freedman
Freedman is a centre-back who identifies his aggression as one of his key traits. He joins Everton from Manchester United and says Paulo Maldini is his football idol.
Luis Gardner
A lifelong Evertonian who played for the U18s last season, Gardner is a youth international for Wales and joined Everton aged just 6 years old. He’s a central-midfielder and says passing is his best attribute, while labelling Lionel Messi as his football role model.
Goodness Gospel-Eze
Gospel-Eze is a young goalkeeper who joined Everton in 2024. Originally from Nigeria, he believes his shot-stopping and distribution are his best skills.
Braiden Graham
A promising young striker, Graham joined Everton in 2024 from Linfield, where he became the club’s youngest-ever player, making his first-team debut in March 2023 at just 15 years and 137 days old.
Rocco Lambert
Lambert is a versatile young player, who can operate in midfield and at right-back. He joined the Blues at the end of the Under-14 season and has already featured for the U18s.
Ceiran Loney
Young forward Loney is an exciting striker, who notes his physicality and finishing as his top traits. From Glasgow, Loney’s football idol is Cristiano Ronaldo, while his favourite Everton player is Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Douglass Lukjanciks
Talented goalkeeper Lukjanciks is an England Under-17s international, who joined Everton as an Under-12 and was a regular for the U18s last season.
Melvin Matos
Midfielder Matos who is from Bedford and joined Everton in 2024. says his energy, tenacity and ability to break up play are his best attributes, and growing up, he enjoyed watching N’Golo Kante and Claude Makelele.
Louis Poland
From Liverpool, Poland is a young left-back and says his passing is among his best traits. Blues full-back Vitalii Mykolenko is his favourite Everton player to watch.
Charlie Stewart
Right-winger Stewart is from Manchester and joined Everton aged 8. His best trait is his pace and ability to run at defenders.
Kean Wren
Wren joined Everton in 2015 and his favourite Blues player is Dominic Calvert-Lewin. A left-winger, Wren is from Halifax and describes his dribbling, shooting and passion as some of his key traits.