Which Everton youngsters could leap into the first team this season?

Billy, why would you expect any of the players you mention to break through to the first team this season? Who besides Armstrong has shown that level of talent? According to the TW folks who regularly watch the youth teams (Brent, Dave, Ian, others), the answer is zero. Certainly not Dixon. Certainly not Sherif since we just bought a striker.

Does a 15-game loan at Derby really make young Armstrong ready to supplant Gana, Garner and Iroegbunam? If not, wouldn't a full season loan serve him, and us, better than having him sit on our bench behind those three and whoever we buy (Luiz, Ndidi)?

Personally, I would have expected only Harry Tyrer at 23 (whom you don't mention) to be ready to step up to the first team, but with the reported signing of Travers it would seem likely that Tyrer is on deck for another season-long loan.

The only players in this article who have a chance of making pl are Harrison Armstrong and Braiden Graham.

Rest are division one standard

I'd like to keep hold of Armstrong in the first team squad as backup.

I also still have hopes for Dixon, but I had lingering hopes for Jonjoe Kenny into his 20s.

From the limited footage of the Scotland training camp, I didn't think Braiden Graham looked out of place, but it's training session, so hard to judge. He looked lively at the last test event, but probably a bit too soon for him.

Not so sure of the rest just yet.

Danny, Jonjoe has a new home in Greece after a couple of seasons at Hertha Berlin. He just signed with PAOK on a free.

Always wish him the best. All-heart player.

Yes Mike, a very honest player. Local as well, which we always like to see.

He may not have made it at Everton, but representing Schalke (loan) and Hertha in the Bundesliga as well as Celtic (loan). And now PAOK.

I'm pleased he's made a career out of football and wasn't afraid to go to the continent to do so.

@3 Danny.

I had many a disagreement with a few on here about Jonjoe Kenny.

I mainly pointed to him and Pennington etc as being kept at the club for far too long.

I’m glad to see that we have become a bit more ruthless in dealing around academy products.

LFC have been lightyears ahead of everyone for years in developing talent and selling it on to other clubs. Not all talent has to be developed for the first team of Everton and I could tell quite early on with Kenny that he would never be capable of being a successful premier league and international standard right back, which is what we need for our first team.

He seems like a decent guy, a good professional and a decent enough player so I am always surprised when people take my evaluation of him as a player for Everton so personally. He was never going to be good enough for us and his career has been on a downward curve since leaving. Suffering relegation and now signed up to play for PAOK. He’ll be a millionaire and he’s made for life and well done to him for that. He deserves that.

Sherif is miles behind the likes of Anichebe and Simms at the same age. He will have no expectation of making it at Everton. Like most players retained for u21 football he will now be trying to see if he can secure a contract with a third or fourth tier club.

Another article which massively overestimates the standard of u21 football

No punches pulled there Robert. You are however one of the more knowledgeable on the subject so fair comment, at least from you that is.

None! They are all way below premier League quality. The so called academy is not fit for purpose, the under 23's are a tax dodge, something to put players in recovering from injuries. This is why we have to buy or loan from other teams, they aren't good enough. Most of the first team are not good enough, so what chance have we of a reserve getting into the first team. Drawl out the old, oh he's good enough now, put him in the first team, not going to happen any time soon.
For the foreseeable future we will be a club of loans, cast offs and last pay day signings. Every team has to buy in new players, but we can't afford class, so we tread water with make does. Everton youngsters, as this article calls them, are no more than squad fillers and bench warmers. Yes, I am in a bad mod today, I can't get my grocery order from Tesco's, really annoying, I could just SCREAM!!!!😕😬😡

I thought we saw some pretty good performances from the useless Academy players last night, Paul.

Issac Heath, Harrison Armstrong, Justin Clarke… be nice to see just one given a chance to strut his stuff on the big stage. But highly unlikely to happen, unfortunately.

As I said on the match thread Michael, there were some good performances from the academy players last night.

Armstrong stood out and I think he has the best chance of being involved.

Armstrong aside, any of those lads doing a job in League One works be a huge result this season.

Armstrong is an attacking 8 or a pressing 10, not a holding midfielder (in senior football anyway). He should be in the first team squad and given minutes. I'd be surprised if we signed the three attacking players we still need anyway.

Also, academy-wise we'd be looking for Welch and Campbell to develop ahead of those mentioned. I can only assume Onyango is considered to have not made it by now. He's 22 and if he's not being used now, I don't see that he ever will.

I still think they're good enough to use them a little bit in order to generate transfer interest, especially in pre-season.

Got to agree with Michael, I'd love to see Heath given the chance to surprise people a bit this season, especially if we fail to achieve our needs in the transfer market – make a virtue of a necessity.

Welch won't be a Premier League player. League One or Two for him.

Don't know much about Campbell but I think his loans have been Scotland?

If these players were not already on our books - would you want us to sign them for the first team squad?

- a left winger age 20 with 2 goals and 6 assists in 35 games in u21s football, no England recognition at any level, no loan and no debut even for a cup game.

- a CB age 21 with some England youth recognition but not for nearly 4 years - who managed 2 appearances in the Belgian 2nd division while on loan last season.

- a CB age 20 with some England u20 recognition last October and 24 league games for Ross County in their relegation season from the Scottish Premier League

Exactly Robert.

In the last 25 years (players whose 1st appearance was after 1999-2000 season) and who were in the academy from a young age rather than bought in their teens.

Made it (regular Everton or sold for big money):– Hibbert, Barkley, Rooney, Gordon, Osman, Rodwell, Davies, Anichebe, Jeffers.

Didn't make it - Kenny, Vaughan, Chadwick, Cadamateri, Clarke, Browning, Forshaw, Broadhead, Duffy, Baxter, Pennington, McAlney, Cannon, Dowell, Baningime, Dobbin, Onyango, Price.

And of the last four on the first list, I think the only one we would sign now would be the Jeffers before he went to Arsenal. So 5 players in 25 years. I wonder how that compares with the other 5 clubs who have been ever present in the Premier League over those years?

It would be interesting to know what proportion of Premier League players are British, European, African, South American, Asia and North American and should that be a guide to our recruitment.

I also suspect that while the saying is it is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, then to make it as a footballer, it is 10% skill and 90% determination.