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As per a report from the Daily Mail highlighting what areas Everton were hoping to improve in the market this summer, the position of striker was included.
The Toffees have been linked with the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Adolfo Gaich and Moise Kean so far as they look to add a third striker to their ranks to compete with Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, although Sporting Director Marcel Brands may not need to look very far from home for his man.
A report from the Liverpool Echo offers an exclusive interview with Blackburn senior youth scout David Kershaw, who gives the lowdown on the process that saw 46-goal forward Ellis Simms end up in the Toffees’ academy.
Check out a fan’s outrageous call for England to take a leaf of out cricket and rugby’s book after a limp Nations League performance in the video below…
The story tells of how a six-year-old Simms clung to his father in tears as he was too scared to go and train with the other kids, but eventually got out on to the pitch and impressed Kershaw.
“He’s decent this lad”, is what Kershaw first thought of Simms, and the youngster has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Kershaw added that: “I heard people saying this is one of the best we’ve ever had in our academy.” Simms even had the likes of Barcelona asking who he was after an international tournament.
After ending up at Manchester City before being released, Simms has gone from strength to strength at Goodison Park and hit a staggering 46 goals for the Under-18 side last term – Kershaw ‘hopes’ he will be the next big thing out of Everton’s academy after Wayne Rooney and Ross Barkley.
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In the modern day, age is just a number – it doesn’t matter that Simms is only 18. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough and the teenager is definitely good enough. Kylian Mbappe, arguably one of Europe’s best goalscorers at just 20 years of age, has already hit 100 career goals having been drafted into Champions League football at the same age as Simms; the Everton boy deserves a chance.
The Toffees have already landed Jonas Lossl and are close to signing Andre Gomes, but with Simms doing the business in the academy, Brands should call off his search for a new striker.