Ever since appointing Kevin Thelwell as their director of football, Everton have taken monumental strides towards seeming like a club being run in the right direction.
After years of misguided leadership, which Farhad Moshiri often spearheaded, the emergence, and trust placed in the 50-year-old marked a refreshing change.
At last, the fate and future of the club now lay in the hands of an intelligent footballing man, with his work proving just how big the Iranian’s blunder had been to overrule previous thinkers in this role.
Thelwell has shaken up the club since that 2022 appointment, with managers, players and staff all facing cutthroat treatment for the betterment of the Toffees.
Well, given they have now established a seven-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone, it’s fair to say those decisions are coming to fruition.
Therefore, to see another key figure depart during this mass exodus should not worry fans, if the current trend is anything to go by.
After all, the academy has hardly excelled in recent years, so the reported exit for its chief operating officer turns no heads. The biggest story from Joel Waldron’s exit stems from the fact he has spent 12 years with the club, working his way up from a casual scout to his latest role.
How good is Everton’s academy?
The departure of a key figure from the academy’s setup should come as no surprise, given how profligate the academy has been in recent years.
Once the shining light of English youth production, it feels like Everton have not unearthed a truly elite gem in a while.
Anthony Gordon may be the latest standout, with his £45m sale proving incredibly profitable during their hour of need, but even he flattered to deceive across his 78 senior appearances with his boyhood club.
So long are the days when the likes of James Vaughan, Wayne Rooney and Francis Jeffers would burst onto the scene as raw, exciting teenagers.
The road to the first team is now long, arduous, and painfully slow. And then, even when the likes of Tom Cannon and Ellis Simms threatened to break through, they were sold for parts anyway.
Lewis Dobbin is the latest set to enjoy his emergence into senior football, after firing home his first-ever Premier League goal earlier this month.
However, the departure of Waldron, whilst sad to see such an Everton mainstay leave his post, could offer a fine opportunity to continue the club overhaul that has already brought great progression thus far.
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