Everton may already have next Jarrad Branthwaite at Finch Farm after new England announcement
Everton gem Francis Boggan may already be slowly becoming the next Jarrad Branthwaite.
Neil Ryan's England under-16s side travel to France for the prestigious Va de Marne Tournament, which takes place just outside of Paris.
The 15-year-old already has two caps for the young Lions at that level, and will be hoping to add to that tally after he was called up to the squad.
The likes of Jadon Sancho, Marc Guehi and Phil Foden have previously featured in that tournament.
He will hope to reach the same level as those players have managed to ascend to in their Premier League careers.
Goodison News examines what supporters need to know about Boggan and why he's following in the footsteps of a crucial star.
Who is Everton academy gem Francis Boggan?
The Blues' academy has produced plenty of quality defenders, including Brian Labone, Kevin Ratcliffe, David Unsworth, Richard Dunne, Tony Hibbert.
Boggan will be hoping to follow in their footsteps as soon as possible.
He trained with the first team in September, and became the Toffees' youngest Under-18's player at 14 years and 204 days old last year.
Talent Hunter reported that he was offered his scholarship two years early by the Merseyside club.
He is clearly highly-rated in L3, but what does the future hold for him?
Why Boggan should follow Jarrad Branthwaite's example
The most likely example to follow would be Branthwaite, who is now a senior star for David Moyes' side.
The 24-year-old spent time on loan with Blackburn Rovers and PSV Eindhoven before making his breakthrough with the Blues after signing from Carlisle.
He has now played 102 times for the Blues, becoming a key piece at the heart of defence alongside James Tarkowski.
Boggan still has to polish his craft at academy level given his young age, but once he is at the right age, he should seek a loan just like Branthwaite did.
Eventually, if he impresses then he will handed a shot for a first-team opportunity, and whether he can take it, remains to be seen.
He is certainly a very exciting prospect, but we have seen so many fall by the wayside, that it will be a long time before anything is expected from him.