Everton Academy finally gets a shake-up

Everton's Academy has been through some rough times in recent years, with few trophies to celebrate, and even fewer players making it through the development levels to become fully fledged Premier League stars.

The days of local talent seamlessly making it through to the first team seem a distant memory. While the case of Anthony Gordon — our last big academy product — signing for Barcelona after a highly successful spell with Newcastle United could be cited as a success story, it comes with the rather embarrassing caveat that he only joined the Everton Academy in 2012 as an 11-year-old after having been released by Liverpool. We didn't discover him; we just picked up our neighbours' discarded dross.

Much of the criticism directed at Finch Farm over the last decade has focused on a persistent "jobs for the boys" culture. Under the former regime, ex-players frequently seemed to be handed plum development roles, leaving fans to question their actual qualifications for such roles that should be critical to the modern infrastructure of top-flight professional football.

David Unsworth was the prime example. He presided over a period of heavily mixed fortunes for the Young Blues, winning the Premier League 2 (then the Under-23 trophy) twice — first in 2017 and again in 2019. Yet, while those trophies looked nice in the cabinet, the actual output was damning. Unsworth's teams were often built around physically mature 22-year-olds who dominated youth football but completely lacked the skills and spirit needed along the pathway to the top tier, eventually slipping down into the EFL wilderness.

When Unsworth departed, Paul Tait stepped up, putting in 8 years of dedicated service across the U18s and U21s. But this week, the club finally drew a line under that entire era.

The New Dawn: Clearing the Decks

Following a comprehensive, 6-month strategic review led by Technical Director Nick Cox, the club announced a sweeping restructure that completely abolishes the traditional U21 Head Coach role. Paul Tait has left the club, bringing an end to his 16-year association with the Blues.

Instead of comfortable continuity, Everton appear to be finally implementing a highly modern, streamlined leadership structure under new Academy Director Dean Rastrick, who arrived this summer with an elite youth-development pedigree from Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City.

The new structure signals a massive shift toward accountability and specialised progression of young developing talent:

Why This Matters in the Friedkin Era

This complete overhaul isn't just about shifting names on office doors; it represents a fundamental change in philosophy driven by The Friedkin Group's broader mandate to make Finch Farm a productive pipeline.

Under SCR constraints, homegrown talent is quite literally worth its weight in gold. Pure profit on the balance sheet is what keeps modern clubs alive. Yet, our current reality was starkly highlighted by this summer’s standard academy cull, where 12 players — including Roman Dixon and Francis Okoronkwo — were released upon their contracts expiring, sparked by long-standing injuries and a lack of belief that they could break into David Moyes's rigid first-team squad structure.

We can no longer afford to run a finishing school for players destined for League One. The academy must exist to build modern, dynamic athletes capable of stepping out at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium and performing in the top flight, or generating vital trading capital.

Nick Cox and Dean Rastrick are finally bringing an elite, audited, and unsentimental structure to a department that felt stagnant for far too long. The "old boys' club" is officially dismantled. Now, the real work begins.

Reader Comments (48)

Dave Abrahams 1 Posted 09/07/2026 at 15:16:03

Give this new Everton Academy 12 months and hopefully the start of long-awaited new ideas and new faces, no disrespect to Ben Dickson who earns a “well deserved internal promotion as Head of Academy Recruitment".

How long as he been with Everton and what was his former position at Everton? I've never heard of him.

Apart from that, it's like New Year's Eve — out with the old and in with new.

John Collins 2 Posted 09/07/2026 at 16:34:18

The key to fast-tracking the future of a club that can't afford to buy big.

Grow a team of kids together, at all levels. All levels play the same formation. The kids grow together, fight together.

Tony Abrahams 3 Posted 09/07/2026 at 16:50:12

I can see the pros... but I can also see the cons, John.

John Collins 4 Posted 09/07/2026 at 17:00:36

Thanks, Tony.

You have first-hand experience in this so I'm always interested in your thoughts. What don't you like about it, mate?

Eric Myles 5 Posted 09/07/2026 at 17:10:16

"Under SCR constraints, homegrown talent is quite literally worth its weight in gold. Pure profit on the balance sheet is what keeps modern clubs alive."

SCR is based on revenue, not profit?

Eric Myles 6 Posted 09/07/2026 at 17:12:55

"Following a comprehensive, 6-month strategic review..."

So where's the 200-point action plan?

Steve Brown 7 Posted 09/07/2026 at 17:54:02

Everton Academy aka the Everton Former Player's Foundation.

It will be exciting to build a strong pipeline of young players for Moyes to ignore.

Bill Gall 8 Posted 09/07/2026 at 18:13:57

Hardly worth developing youth players if they have no chance of first team experience with David Moyes.

He prefers the older more experienced player.

Ian Wilkins 9 Posted 09/07/2026 at 18:25:43

This reorganisation and cultural shake-up is much needed and long overdue.

It may take some time to deliver an improved talent stream but at least there is a plan to do so.

Brendan McLaughlin 10 Posted 09/07/2026 at 19:24:01

Not so much revolution as evolution at Finch Farm.

Other than the head honcho, all but one of the guys mentioned appear to be existing Everton employees.

John Pickles 11 Posted 09/07/2026 at 19:31:59

The new guy may find Luke Garbutt and Francisco Júnior hiding in a cupboard.

Mike Gaynes 12 Posted 09/07/2026 at 20:54:31

Remember, folks, Nick Cox left Manchester United to join us -- after overseeing a development operation that put41 Academy players through to actual appearances at Old Trafford. That's a hell of a resume.

This changeover also explains why some young Academy players considered promising have moved on. Cox and his new team clearly want to choose and develop their own.

Brendan #10, not quite correct. Cox joined us last year. He immediately hired Hughes and Chadwick. He just hired Rastrick to be his Number 2. The only holdovers from before Cox landed are Darlington and Dickson. Tait's departure after so many years appears to be clear evidence of the new era.

This is exactly what I hoped for and expected from Cox. And I hope and expect that Director of Scouting James Smith (recruited from Man City) is doing exactly the same thing with our recruitment setup. He has apparently kept on Head of Scouting, Lee Sargeson.

Tony Abrahams 13 Posted 09/07/2026 at 20:58:53

I would be worried about a lack of experience at first team level, John.

Everything else makes loads of sense, especially coaching the younger teams to play like the first team. I think this was the reason that Forest had a lot of success bringing a lot of young players through into the first team when I was there all those years ago.

I remember in the season that we came 4th under David Moyes, Everton's full team getting a total football lesson off a team of kids from Arsenal in the League Cup. The Arsene Wenger way was completely ingrained into those young kids and, even though we lost, for a footballing purist like myself, it was a night when I just sat back and thoroughly enjoyed getting entertained by some marvellous young players.

I don't think any of those kids went on to really make the grade. The only reason I could think of was that they must have struggled once they moved away from playing the total football that Arsenal played during that period.

I see there has just been a massive revamp at our academy, and not before time, I'd say. But until we go and get ourselves some innovation, I won't be getting excited about things changing that much.

If we could achieve what you wrote @2 though, John, I think it would be absolutely brilliant to see. Just to see Everton win a cup again would be fantastic, but if we started developing our own players and winning, then that would be beautiful to see.🤞

Brendan McLaughlin 14 Posted 09/07/2026 at 21:19:19

Thanks Miike #12,

That puts a different, much more positive, slant on it entirely.

Ian Horan 15 Posted 09/07/2026 at 21:31:27

Tony @13,

The ethos of all teams playing the same was Brands's ideology in the early days of Moshiri when Brands was Director of Football.

The problem was alleged Unsworth went crying to tiny tears BPBB because he wanted to win Premier League 2. To be fair, they did... but playing the Unsworth way. Total irony is none of that team made it long term in the first team.

Andrew Merrick 16 Posted 09/07/2026 at 22:02:51

Reading this piece and the14 comments so far gives me some hope. As Dave says at 1, out with the old in with the new. No overnight sensation here though, as this will not prove its worth for a few years yet. Overdue but welcome and very much in line with the new owners strategy.

Michael Kenrick 17 Posted 09/07/2026 at 22:17:11

I remain to be convinced.

What is the metric here? It's obviously not winning trophies for the Academy sides as that did Unsworth absolutely no good at all.

Mike says it's young players making senior appearances. But surely making just one appearance -- which a lot of our lads have done in the past before they disappeared to oblivion -- means next to nothing.

It has to be players coming through to be an intrinsic part of the senior squad. But how long do you give it? Coz that ain't happening in one or two or three seasons.

Or the model other clubs seem to profit from: selling them on for a substantial fee.

Brendan McLaughlin 18 Posted 09/07/2026 at 22:17:48

Ian #15

Moshiri brought the DOF model to Everton and with that a handsomely rewarded Marcel Brands,

The suggestion that Unsworth's agenda was allowed to trump Brands just isn't credible.

Ian Horan 19 Posted 09/07/2026 at 22:45:59

it was, Brands was interviewed on Dutch TV a and stated that was the case. we all knew tiny tears always kept his old boys happy as his sychophants happy backed Tiny Tears agenda

Brendan McLaughlin 20 Posted 09/07/2026 at 22:59:50

Ian #19

If it happened as you allege I'm pretty sure that the Brands interview would have featured heavily on ToffeeWeb.

Must have missed that one... nor do I recall anyone referencing it till now.

Any chance of a link?

John Collins 21 Posted 09/07/2026 at 23:20:05

Tony,

Good post mate,and a good point on experience. You will know what it's like when a team grow together and garner the "you fight one you have to fight eleven."spirit. Your right though.The Utd team of kids were exceptional and a one off really.

Mike Gaynes 22 Posted 09/07/2026 at 23:52:16

Michael #17, all you could ever want to know about Nick Cox's priorities, metrics for success, methods and willingness to change a club's youth ecosystem is contained in this profile in The New York Times/The Athletic profile from 2024, when he was still running and reworking United's Academy:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5428831/2024/04/22/manchester-united-academy-players/

It's behind a paywall but if you wanted to read and excerpt it, I'm sure you'll be able to.

Of course you remain to be convinced. We all do. The Academy is yet another aspect of an overall TFG plan that likely will take years to carry through and execute. And you're right, it won't be a matter of a season or three. This is a long, slow process necessitated by a decade or more of neglect.

What I'm convinced of is that TFG have hired the right man to rebuild the Academy into a foundational piece of the club's eventual success.

Annika Herbert 23 Posted 10/07/2026 at 03:08:14

We can only hope this works out well. It may take some time but the rewards could be worth waiting for.

I just hope I live long enough to see any rewards. 41 players is impressive, but how many of them were actually any good?

Fingers crossed this move produces positive results

Paul Griffiths 24 Posted 10/07/2026 at 03:39:04

MG, genuine question out of interest: how many of those 41 Academy players have actually become regular PL players?

Nick Cox says that it's 35 by the way.

Interesting exit chat here:

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/inside-the-academy-nick-cox-column-reflecting-on-manchester-united-departure-september-2025

This high level of Man-U Academy debutants is actually an embedded piece of the club's history:

249 debutants since Christmas 1931 'represents roughly half of the players who have ever played for our great club and it’s an incredible statistic'

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/inside-the-academy-nick-cox-reflects-on-omari-forson-senior-debut

Paul Tait. Not our Paul Tait I believe. But what has happened to our Paul Tait?

Paul Griffiths 25 Posted 10/07/2026 at 05:01:02

Another one for MG.

What is the Academy set up in 'merica: do clubs have academies, is there a national academy?

I ask because if they exist it doesn't seem to me that they are doing a good job when you look at the starting XI v Belgium for a country of what 350Mish.

Eric Myles 26 Posted 10/07/2026 at 05:24:27

PG, I was told yesterday by a sports management bod that in US it is the parents that fund the development of their kids, not the clubs. This, I was told, is because clubs don't get development fees when the kids move on somewhere else, so the clubs don't invest in them.

Over to you MG, is this guy correct? I'm assuming he is talking only about those who have not signed professional forms.

Paul Griffiths 27 Posted 10/07/2026 at 05:29:38

And that's the key period Eric - ' those who have not signed professional forms'.

Mike Gaynes 28 Posted 10/07/2026 at 06:24:10

PG #24,

I don't know. I've never seen (or looked for) an actual list. Some of those 41 (or 35) players were sold on to other clubs, in the PL and other leagues. One of 'em is anchoring our midfield, brilliantly. Another has led Napoli to first- and second-place finishes in Serie A the past two seasons. Others that come to mind off the top of my head are Rashford, Welbeck, Elanga and Henderson.

Our Paul Tait has been recently dismissed in this transition. I believe he's the guy that Rastrick replaced.

Paul Griffiths 29 Posted 10/07/2026 at 06:38:24

Not Rashford MG. He's 28. Cox was in charge for 6 years mate. Welbeck is 35.

Wow, so the Paul Tait on here was Finch Farm's Paul Tait? I had no idea.

I'd love to hear your views on academies over here.

Mike Gaynes 30 Posted 10/07/2026 at 06:41:04

PG #25, all the MLS clubs have academies. So do a number of European clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG. And there are also elite private academie$ that promi$e to make your kid a $tar. If your parents haven't got the $cratch, good luck to ya.

For competitive reasons, the private academies emphasize winning silverware over each other, not developing players with professional abilities. The parents send their kids to the academies that win national titles. That's the single biggest reason the USA sucks at developing top players who really know how to play the game.

This USA lineup was actually the most talented we've ever put out there, but many of those players were developed in Europe, either born there (Dest, Robinson, Tillman) or left the US as youngsters to join overseas academies (Pulisic, Balogun, Weah).

There is no national youth academy, and a national training center has only recently been established. Nor are there national programs for identifying poor kids in South Texas or Arizona who have the skills.

Mike Gaynes 31 Posted 10/07/2026 at 06:44:14

PG, Cox was in overall charge at MU for 6 years, following 3 years as head of academy operations, so 9 years altogether. That covers Rashford. My mistake on Welbeck.

Paul Griffiths 32 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:04:35

Rashford made his debut for Man U in 2016 MG. He scored twice.

This has to be addressed Mike.

There is no national youth academy, and a national training center has only recently been established. Nor are there national programs for identifying poor kids in South Texas or Arizona who have the skills.

God knows how many potential stars have been deported or lurk unseen. In Blighty those working class council estates are targeted.

Peter Gorman 33 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:15:25

If Rashford counts as one of Cox's products then since the time of his debut, the standout names to me of the many kids that have made at least one appearance for Utd are;

Axel Tuanzebe (played in WC for Congo) Scott McTominay Angel Gomes Tahith Chong (also played at WC) James Garner Mason Greenwood Dean Henderson Anthony Elanga Hannibal Tom Heaton

And of course, Kobbie Mainoo.

Over a similar period, our standout graduates would be;

Anthony Gordon

Er..

Harrison Armstrong (fingers crossed)

Mike Gaynes 34 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:30:32

PG, tragically nobody wants to pay for programs like that. The wealthier sports have them. Major League Baseball pays for academies in the Dominican Republic. The NBA pours money into AAU and USA Basketball and 5-Star for developing teenagers. The NFL has huge-money college football to draw upon.

US soccer is, and always will be, a distant fifth on the money totem pole, both for TV revenues and for salaries. The median MLS salary is exactly $352,104. The National Hockey League, 4th behind the others I mentioned, pays a median of $2.5 million.

There's no money in footy in the US.

Paul Griffiths 35 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:36:49

McTominay is 29 Peter, Axel Tuanzebe is 28, Angel Gomes is 25, Tahith Chong is 26, James Garner is 25, Dean Henderson is 29, Anthony Elanga is 24.

ERM, Tom Heaton is 40.

Hannibal and Greenwood at 23 are marginally linked to Cox's 6 years in charge - I know he had 3 years before he took over but he was not in charge.

Cox had no pivotal role in the development of at least 7 players on your list.

And Rashford made his debut before Cox arrived.

Paul Griffiths 36 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:37:47

Cheers MG - 34 - that is so revealing.

Ian Bennett 37 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:42:14

Let's see with the academy. It needs real money and top people to turn around the perception that Everton is locally the 4th best option for emerging talent.

Even then, city, Liverpool and United are then taking the cream from other academies as they near U16s, U17s.

Jobs for the boys was certainly never going to help. Nor the message to parents that Everton's recent success was to raise X to keep the club afloat. It may have been true, but it is hardly a marketing strap line for kids to turn down City, Liverpool, or United.

United have a proud boast around graduates being in every match day squad since God was a boy, City provide effectively a private education, top coaches and facilities. RS trade off those european nights. What is our sell?

Tony Abrahams 38 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:51:31

Cox, gets credit for his time at Man Utd, but United, have been developing their own young talent for at least sixty years. No club, has done it better, so hopefully he learned a lot whilst he was there.

Paul Griffiths 39 Posted 10/07/2026 at 08:22:17

95 apparently Tony. Totally agree.

Peter Gorman needs to check ages against Cox's tenure TA.

I'd like to know who those 35 debutants are who Cox claims credit for in his 6 years in charge and 3 years in the group.

Have Man-U had 35 debutants in the last 9 years and, if so, how many were in the League Cup or Europa League/Conference?

Paul Griffiths 40 Posted 10/07/2026 at 08:33:40

We've had more than a few Academy lads debut over the last 9 years.

Peter Gorman 41 Posted 10/07/2026 at 08:50:23

Paul G - yeah, I was just having a bit of fun with Tom Heaton.

The others all made their debuts after Rashford, I've no idea if Cox was party to their development because I've no idea which 9 years we are talking about.

As for our own academy graduates - those are the only standouts for me. Maybe Ellis Simms deserves a shout out. Tom Cannon at a push, but we're stretching the definition a bit.

Annika Herbert 42 Posted 10/07/2026 at 08:51:46

That’s a pretty impressive list of players produced through the United youth system. If Cox can produce even half those numbers in the coming years he will have been a roaring success.

I just hope I survive long enough to see some of his efforts come to fruition

Peter Gorman 43 Posted 10/07/2026 at 08:51:47

But let's make everyone's life easier.

Here are all the debutants listed by date

Link

Paul Griffiths 44 Posted 10/07/2026 at 09:03:02

Great stuff Peter - 43.

Never heard of most of them.

But how the fuck is this right - 241 Tom Heaton 8 December 2021 BSC Young Boys 35?

In other words, like Man-U we can start young debutants in the League Cup, right Moyes?

Peter Gorman 45 Posted 10/07/2026 at 09:34:33

Tom Heaton shouldn't be on that list at all, IMO.

Yes, he was once in Utd's academy but he made that debut at the ripe old age of 35 having re-signed from Aston Villa and having already made his England debut with Burnley (I think).

Not exactly a direct pathway.

As to the other names, yes most of them have disappeared or are now eking out a living in the lower leagues, just as most of our graduates do

But the number is still fairly impressive, even accounting for league cups and dead-rubbers in Europe.

Alan J Thompson 46 Posted 10/07/2026 at 10:25:38

Did anyone mention a young 17 year old central defender who went on to play for England and Burnley and keeps getting his contract extended by his present club? Still, wouldn't be a list without at least one blotch and Garner like Steve Coppell started with Tranmere didn't they, and how many let go never having made United's first team made it somewhere else?

47 Posted 10/07/2026 at 12:52:32

Ian@37, that’s why I keep repetitively saying that nothing will change until we get people with real innovation inside the club, mate.

My guess is that only a small percentage of kids will be worried about educating themselves because they think they’re going to be professional footballers, (education might have to be forced upon some kids, but it’s absolutely vital, imo) so the best way for them to achieve their goals, is through hard work and very good coaching.

We have got to create a much better pathway so that young footballers believe they have got a real chance of coming through at Everton, because this is something that has been lost since Everton, got rid of Martin Waldron, and went down the director of football route.

If I’m being honest I wouldn’t put my kid anywhere near any club, in the EPL, if he had a choice of clubs, simply because with the money these clubs now have to sign players from all over the world, the pathway has now become so difficult.

Every club wants their own independence and identity but, the older I get the more I see the logic in having feeder clubs. A lot of lower league clubs are struggling financially (my guess is that some players earn more in a month, than the yearly budget of some clubs) and when a kid gets to 19/20, he should have already outgrown the under 21 league, but might still not have the physical strength required for the very demanding EPL. It’s all just opinions!

Tony Abrahams 48 Posted 10/07/2026 at 13:04:22

It is very relevant what Mike, is telling us regarding the money that is involved in football, in the world’s richest nation.

Use it to your fucking advantage I say, and keep developing your own players rather than paying to bring in players from overseas.

Spend more money on good coaching and keep on trying to develop your own kids instead, personally makes a lot of sense to me.

I got told a story about a professional footballer the other week, who has got a big desire to play in The MLS. He was finally offered a chance but the wages were apparently absolute peanuts, he then turned down an absolute fortune to play in Azerbaijan, and has chosen a different pathway with a clear plan to achieve his long term goal.