Everton’s scouting woes exposed as local talent pipeline dries up | OneFootball

Everton’s Scouting Concerns: Decline in Local Talent Sparks Debate

Everton’s long-standing reputation for developing homegrown talent has come under scrutiny, with recent reports describing their current scouting system as a ‘disgrace’. Once renowned for unearthing and nurturing some of the brightest prospects in Merseyside football, the club’s academy setup appears to have lost its edge.

A striking example of this decline was evident in Everton Under-21s’ 2-1 defeat to Southampton, where no Liverpool-born players featured in the starting XI. Sources close to the club suggest that the Toffees have significantly reduced their scouting reach, with just over 40 scouts currently covering both local and national recruitment – a dramatic fall from the 300-plus scouts during David Moyes’ first tenure.

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Concerns Over Recruitment Strategy

Everton’s struggles in academy recruitment extend beyond numbers. Their rivals – Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool – now identify talent as early as four years old, while Everton typically start at Under-7s level and upwards. This later entry into youth scouting means the club is often missing out on a vital period in a player’s development, allowing competitors to secure the most talented youngsters first.

It is worth noting that Liverpool-born players do exist in the Everton youth ranks, including Jack Tierney and Jack Butler, though both are currently injured and Harrison Armstrong, who is out on loan at Derby County. However, the club’s reliance on signing players from other youth setups rather than developing their own talent has raised concerns among insiders.

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New Ownership’s Commitment to the Academy

The arrival of The Friedkin Group as Everton’s new owners could signal a shift in priorities. Executive Chairman Marc Watts has emphasised that “cultivating home-grown superstars through Everton’s Academy” is a key focus of the club’s long-term strategy.

To achieve this, Everton are expected to:

Former Everton forward James Vaughan has been given responsibility for overseeing academy recruitment, with sources suggesting he is well-placed to restore Everton’s local talent pipeline.

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Challenges in Rebuilding the Scouting Network

It is important to acknowledge that Everton faced a two-year ban on signing academy players between 2018 and 2020, which severely impacted their recruitment pipeline. Additionally, financial challenges have resulted in academy restructuring, forcing the club to operate with a smaller scouting network than before.

Despite these setbacks, the club has managed to generate £70m from academy sales in recent years, including transfers of Anthony Gordon, Ellis Simms, Tom Cannon, Lewis Dobbin, and Ishe Samuels-Smith. While this has helped Everton financially, the challenge now is ensuring future generations of talent are retained and developed into first-team regulars, rather than being sold to balance the books.

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Can Everton Return to Being a Talent Hub?

With a new ownership structure, increased investment, and a renewed focus on youth development, Everton have the potential to restore their reputation as one of England’s best academies. However, doing so will require a commitment to grassroots scouting, early player identification, and a more aggressive recruitment strategy to compete with the Premier League’s elite.

For a club with such a proud history of developing homegrown stars, the road to recovery starts now.

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For Everton supporters, the reports on the club’s dwindling scouting network are deeply frustrating. This is a club that once prided itself on producing local heroes—from Wayne Rooney to Ross Barkley—yet now struggles to field even one Liverpool-born player in the Under-21s.

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It is understandable that financial difficulties have impacted the club’s operations, but watching rivals like Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United dominate youth recruitment while Everton struggle to keep up is disheartening. Why has the club allowed this to happen?

The drastic reduction from 300 scouts to just over 40 feels like a self-inflicted wound. How can a club that historically thrived on developing local talent expect to compete if it is not even identifying that talent early enough? Losing out on top young prospects to bigger clubs will only widen the gap between Everton and the elite.

The new ownership group’s pledge to prioritise academy recruitment is encouraging, but promises must be followed by action. Everton need to return to their aggressive scouting approach, ensuring they are first in line for the best young players rather than reacting too late.

While hiring James Vaughan to oversee recruitment could be a smart move, he must be given the resources and support to expand Everton’s scouting network. If not, the Toffees will continue to watch local talent slip away while their academy pipeline dries up.

For a club built on the passion and identity of Merseyside football, regaining that local DNA is not ju