"Extremely disappointed" - Rotherham United told to take player action amid Everton interest | OneFootball

The teenage defender is said to be of interest to The Toffees after just one senior appearance for the Millers

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Everton are said to be considering a move for Rotherham United’s teenage centre-back Harrison Duncan this summer.

That’s according to the latest report from transfer obsessive Alan Nixon, who claims that The Toffees are the latest Premier League side linked with the imposing 16-year-old, with the same source claiming that Manchester City and West Ham United reported to be interested last year.

Having become the Millers’ second-youngest player of all time back in October when he made his debut at just 16 years and 130 days in an EFL Trophy clash with Newcastle under-21s, Duncan is already being tipped for the top, with Rotherham likely to be doing all they can to keep him theirs for the long haul this summer.

With that in mind, we spoke to Football League World’s United fan pundit Tom Eyre about the top flight interest in the young player, and what would be best for all concerned.

Rotherham United urged to take Harrison Duncan action as Everton linger

At the age of 16, Duncan is still on a youth contract with the Millers, with the club unable to offer him a professional deal until his 17th birthday, which comes next August.

While that hasn’t stopped him competing for the first-team in the EFL Trophy, as well as being involved in match-day squads twice over the past few months, it does mean that the Yorkshire side have little insurance if a top flight club does make their interest concrete in the coming months, as Eyre fears.

When asked about the teenager’s situation, the Millers fan said: “Harrison Duncan is an interesting one, because from what I have seen of him, he is a 16-year-old, six-foot-three, six-foot-four athletic centre-half who has scored something like 11 or 12 goals in the youth leagues this season.

“He is a very imposing player, very mature and comfortable on the ball, seems to be good in the air and good on his feet, and it seemed inevitable that he would probably move on to a Premier League club.

“However, losing him for a small compensation fee would be awful for the club, because he would have been a player you could have got a few million for because of the potential. Rather than the player you are buying now you are paying for the potential.

“Yes, I do think it is an inevitability that he will move on to a Premier League academy. Everton is probably up there with the best academies in the country, but I would be extremely disappointed if we didn’t at least try and sign him on as a professional player and try and get a little bit more money for him.”

Rotherham United could miss out on serious money if Harrison Duncan departs

To have a player on their hands that is attracting Premier League interest at such a young age is an exciting prospect for Rotherham, and they will be hoping they can tempt Duncan into committing his future to the club as the summer nears.

Getting the 16-year-old imposing defender to do so may prove to be the tricky part though, with the allure of top flight football likely to turn any head at such a tender age, despite the fact that Rotherham have given him his opportunity in the professional game.

The Toffees will be hoping they can get similar joy in delving into the EFL to find a young prospect to feature at centre-back, having done so with Jarrad Branthwaite [pictured] in the summer of 2020.

Having picked the colossal centre-back up from the Cumbrians four-and-a-half years ago, the Merseyside outfit are now profiting from the England international’s presence in their backline, having become a regular at Goodison Park in recent years.

While a career in the top flight is said to be expected of Duncan, Rotherham will be hoping they can earn some remuneration from unearthing the young talent, before he spreads his wings and flees the nest. Failing to do so would be a massive blow to the club's finances, with a player of his reported potential being worth millions in years to come.