Everton homegrown tradition must continue as academy rankings emerge
Everton have always had a homegrown talent who embodies everything it means to be a Toffee and Frank Lampard needs to keep that.
Luckily for the manager, he has Anthony Gordon in his ranks as one of the club’s most exciting players and he gives his absolute all every time he steps onto the pitch.
Tom Davies does that too and even though he doesn’t necessarily have the ability of Gordon, nobody can ever doubt his commitment and work ethic when he is on the pitch.
That kind of passion only comes from supporters of the club who have grown from the youth ranks to the first team and Everton are among the best clubs for the production of English players in the Football League.
Data compiled by the Training Ground Guru suggests that the Toffees have the sixth most productive academy in the country, behind five of the traditional big six with Liverpool down in 10th.
That form has to continue for years to come and Lampard can be the man to do just that given his track record in that department at both Derby County and Chelsea.
The likes of Lewis Warrington, Reece Welch and others have to be in the back of the manager’s mind as the next crop of players to graduate to the first team.
But it wouldn’t feel like an Everton team without a homegrown player proudly representing the club that gave them their chance in professional football.
The dream scenario would be for enough top talents to come through that they can all play at once but realistically, that will never happen at Goodison Park but they can play a big part in the future.
Now that Lampard is secure on Merseyside, he may look to the academy first and foremost when trying to replace players rather than panicking to sign someone without doing his due diligence.