GRADING QATAR WORLD CUP 2022 KITS PART 2
This summer, Everton surprised some fans by allowing Fraser Hornby to leave the club.
The Scottish under-21 international had impressed at both under-23 level at Finch Farm and with his national team’s age level.
Plenty of Everton fans felt that Hornby had the talent to step up and be an occasional first-team option this term. However, he eventually headed out to Belgian side KV Kortrijk instead.
As reported by the Belgian side there is an option to make the deal permanent, which has perplexed Everton fans even more.
But is there a simple reason why Everton have allowed Hornby to head to Belgium?
That simple reason could be the emergence of Ellis Simms.
(Photo by Emma Simpson – Everton FC/Everton FC via Getty Images)
The former Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers striker joined Everton in the summer of 2018 and went on to have a prolific first season with the club’s under-18s last term.
Simms scored 32 goals in the Under-18 Premier League and five more in the FA Youth Cup throughout 2018-19. Overall, in all competitions, he scored over 40 goals last season.
It was clear that Simms needed to be playing regular under-23 football and with the first-team signing Moise Kean and failing to move on Cenk Tosun and Oumar Niasse, Hornby was the spare part.
Simms has since impressed for the under-23s this season and fans are hopeful the 18-year-old is a future Everton first-team star. If he continues on his current trajectory, Everton fans will soon forget about Hornby if that loan move to Belgium does become permanent.
