Life After the Everton Academy
David France In the summer of 2026, it was reported that Everton planned to reinforce its academy programmes to develop more homegrown talent. Perhaps easier said than done because the Merseyside giants have relied heavily on the recruitment of new players through transfers, sometimes for British record fees, since the introduction of nationwide competitive football in 1887. Some background about early youth development Even earlier, following the amalgamation of local clubs with St Domingo’s in 1879, the club accommodated surplus enthusiasts in a third-team consisting mainly of 15- and 17-year-olds. The earliest recorded youth team fixtures were against the first-teams…
