Rio Ferdinand impressed as Holgate finds new club after Everton exit – ‘Love this’
Mason Holgate has been looking for a new club since he was officially released from Everton.
Holgate was one of six confirmed senior departures this summer as David Moyes deemed the 28-year-old surplus to requirements in Merseyside.
It was a melancholic departure for the Jamaica international, who had signed for the Toffees from Barnsley in August 2015 and looked set for a bright future.
However, his influence on the team started to fade in recent years, as he was sent out on three loan spells away from the club over the last two seasons before leaving at the end of last month.
Holgate joins Al Gharafa
Holgate had shown a lot of promise in the early years of his decade-long spell at Everton, but the reliability of James Tarkowski and later Jarrad Branthwaite never gave him a chance to work his way back into the side under Moyes.
The Scotsman has ambitious plans for the future, and although he has offered contract extensions to Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman, he did not extend the same favour to Holgate.
| Club | Appearances | Direct Goal Contributions | Minutes Played |
| West Brom | 27 | 2 | 2,071′ |
He ended up making 150 appearances for the Blues, and is now set to join Al-Gharafa in the Qatar Stars League.
The club announced the imminent signing with a video on X showing Holgate meeting staff members and future teammates in Al Rayyan.
The post prompted a response from Rio Ferdinand, who reacted under the post (12 July) with the comment “Love this”.
Moyes still has gaps at the back
While Holgate was never part of Moyes’ long-term plans, the 63-year-old will still need to replace the Jamaican ahead of next season.
Everton are still in need of at least one fullback, after missing out on Kenny Tete, while they only have four senior centre-backs in the squad, which is a risky move going into a pivotal season.
Everton are also limited in the goalkeeping department and have been very fortunate that Jordan Pickford rarely succumbs to injury. However, that’s never a guarantee.
The Friedkin Group have shown that they are willing to back their manager, but still have a long way to go to ensure the holes in the defence are adequately filled.
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