Goodison News View: Everton youngster surely set for future first team role
Everton have plenty of talented youngsters at the club right now, following the fine tradition of the likes of Wayne Rooney and Ross Barkley.
If you asked a Toffees supporter, though, to pick the one position on the pitch where they’d like a quality academy product to emerge, it would likely be centre back.
Carlo Ancelotti has just three senior centre halves at this moment in time, and didn’t add any more in the January transfer window.
That decision may have been down to the new contract signed last month by young centre back Lewis Gibson, and his subsequent loan move to League One side Fleetwood Town.
He made his debut for the Cod Army last weekend in their 2-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers, lining up in a three-man central defensive unit.
Fleetwood boss Joey Barton was thrilled with Gibson’s signing and his performance against Rovers.
“We’ve been tracking Lewis Gibson for a large period because we’ve been looking for a left-footed centre-half,” he said, as per the Blackpool Gazette.
“Lewis Gibson looked the real deal and handled it superbly, and he’ll come on so much for that,” he finished.
That is hugely encouraging for Blues fans, and for Ancelotti. Gibson has all the potential to nail down a first team spot in the future, potentially alongside Mason Holgate at the heart of the Toffees’ defence.
He’s a quality player who is only going to get better over this loan spell. League One was the right level for him for his first loan spell, and he could well return next summer ready to challenge for a starting spot at Goodison moving forward.
In other Everton news, a former England international has been raving over a behind-the-scenes figure at the club.