Young English talent leading the way at Everton

Everton’s upturn in fortune has coincided with a number of young English players being thrown in the deep end – and manager Ronald Koeman wants more Premier League clubs to follow his lead.

Since a last-gasp defeat in the Merseyside derby on December 19 Everton have gone five Premier League games unbeaten – winning their last three without conceding a goal in the process.

The highlight was a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City, a victory that saw English starlets Mason Holgate, Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman all star, with the latter two grabbing the third and fourth goals.

And Koeman is concerned that other Premier League clubs appear reluctant to give young players a chance to shine.

“Clubs in the Premier League have bought many foreign players over the years and I acknowledge that sometimes it is necessary,” he said.

“But here in England, my admiration for the bulk of talent in the academies has grown massively. I admire the attitude, the spirit and the values of young English footballers. They have an incredible desire.

“I have no worries about their motivation and I feel I actually have to slow them rather down than push them forward. Young British players have a spirit, which I don’t see in the Netherlands or other countries where I used to work.

“There is a different culture here. The problem is that managers here wait a long time before they launch young players.

“If a player has the talent, my motto is that you must give him the stage to show it. But maybe it is because I am Dutch and I am used to throwing the boys in at the deep end.”