Athletic journalist reveals reasoning behind January exit of Everton ace
Everton youngster Joao Virginia will now act as immediate cover to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for the remainder of the season.
The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland revealed on Saturday that the Portuguese stopper will now be the second choice at Goodison Park after he returned from his loan spell at Reading recently.
Boyland also revealed the reasoning behind Carlo Ancelotti allowing Jonas Lossl to leave Merseyside to join his former side Huddersfield on loan in January.
Boyland shared the news in an official Q&A on the Athletic website (01/01), claiming that the Dane had dropped to third-choice in Merseyside.
“Third choice and opportunity came up that worked for all sides. Virginia acts as cover following return,” he wrote.
It was no surprise to see Lossl leave the club temporarily, and promoting a young keeper as a back-up makes total sense.
Jordan Pickford is clearly top choice at Goodison Park and will be inbetween the sticks in all Premier League and domestic cup games under Ancelotti.
So, any senior keeper will not want to sit on the bench and wait around for an opportunity. Whereas, a young stopper will be thankful for the opportunity and experience to learn on each Premier League matchday.
Under-23’s manager David Unsworth has recently commented on how impressed he has been with Virginia, claiming his attitude has been superb since his return from Reading.
Those comments prove how highly regarded he is at the club, and now it is down to the player himself that he can cement a spot in the matchday squad consistently.
In other Everton news, Ancelotti has revealed what didn’t impress him in the 3-2 victory against Watford on Saturday