Everton have a proud history of producing youth talent, but perhaps on par with it is their ability to scope out future stars from across England and the United Kingdom.
Wayne Rooney marks an outstanding homegrown product, whilst John Stones was a fine acquisition from elsewhere. Even Seamus Coleman, snagged from Sligo Rovers, has gone on to become a cult hero on Merseyside for his services to the club.
It seems that no matter the manager, and no matter the turmoil going on, the Toffees will seemingly always find and nurture top youngsters.
Well, that seems to be a trend set to continue, with journalist Paddy Boyland taking to X to deliver some good news for their youth setup.
Having been linked with a number of teenage sensations already in recent months, it seems that one of those stars has finally put pen to paper and committed his future at Finch Farm.
He would write: ‘Everton have agreed a deal to sign 16 yo Linfield striker Braiden Graham, staving off interest from other PL clubs. NI U17 international expected to join at end of season.’
Who is Braiden Graham?
Born in 2007, the record-breaking 16-year-old made waves when he became Linfield’s youngest-ever player back in March.
Making his senior debut as a 15-year-old, many clamoured to learn more about this Northern Irish gem who is already featuring for his U17s national team.
Although an unknown now, the future seems exceedingly bright for the teenage marksman, who has unsurprisingly earned huge praise for his steady rise to the top in his homeland.
David Healy, who still holds the record for most goals scored for the Northern Ireland national team, would lead that notion, talking with BBC Sport about the potential of his young protégé.
He noted: ‘He’s got all the tools, all the attributes, but we’ll not be getting carried away – he has got a long, tough road ahead of him.’
‘He brings goals, he brings energy and some of his link-up play when he came on was good. He’s brave and he’s ‘goals, goals, goals’, he prowls in and around and he’s a deadly finisher.
‘I’ve seen Braiden for the last three years or so in and around the academy – he stepped up to under-18s, he’s playing under-20s, against real physical specimens in some of the teams he is playing against.
‘He’s brave and he’s ‘goals, goals, goals’, he prowls in and around and he’s a deadly finisher.’
Should his physicality soon match these predatory striking instincts he boasts, it marks an exciting capture for Sean Dyche‘s Everton side building towards a brighter future.
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