Academy product Ed Jones has signed his first professional contract with Everton after establishing himself in Leighton Baines’s Under-18s side last season.
Ed Jones is an 18-year-old centre-back who has come up through Everton’s Academy since joining at the age of 10. His 1-year contract runs until the end of June 2024.
“I’ve been at Everton for a long time, me and my dad used to have Season Tickets and we’d watch a lot of games. This place is like a second home to me.
“There are a lot of people around the Club who I know – coaches and players – so it’s been a good step for me to get my first professional contract and now hopefully I can try to kick on in the next few years.”
Injuries forced Jones to miss a large portion of last season, yet, he returned to full fitness in March and featured in each of the final nine games for Leighton Baines’s Under-18s.
The young Blues suffered just two defeats during that run, with Jones playing an integral role in their fine form. Reflecting on that run, the defender admitted getting plenty of minutes under his belt was crucial after his enforced time on the sidelines.
“It was really important for my game,” he reflected. “For lots of reasons: fitness, confidence and just getting back into the schedule again. I had a tough season with quite a few injuries.
“But Leighton was really good with me, he gave me all the minutes needed to get me back up to speed for the season. It really helped me in terms of confidence and getting back into match structure. We did well, too, we won quite a few games. It was all positive, definitely.”