Everton have given a group of academy players a taste of first-team training ahead of this afternoon’s pre-season opener against Dundee, with Braiden Graham, Harvey Foster, Eli Campbell and George Finney all pictured in senior sessions this week.
It’s a chance for David Moyes to get an early look at some of his younger options while several senior players remain away on extended breaks following the World Cup, and continues a theme already visible in the build-up to Dens Park, where Graham has been strongly tipped for a run-out through the middle.
Foster, a central midfielder, signed his first professional contract last summer after captaining the Under-18s to a third-place finish in their league. The son of former Manchester City full-back John Foster, he scored six goals in 19 Under-18 Premier League North appearances and has been earmarked as one to establish himself in the Under-21s before pushing for more.
Campbell arguably arrives with the most senior experience of the four. The left-sided centre-back has already had loan spells at Fleetwood Town, Ross County and, most recently, Port Vale, giving him a level of first-team football the other three are still building towards.
Finney, a defender, signed his first professional deal earlier this year and has been a regular for the Under-18s, while Graham remains the highest-profile name of the group after a prolific run of academy goalscoring.
None of the four are guaranteed involvement against Dundee this afternoon, and with squad numbers stretched by the ongoing World Cup absences, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more than one handed minutes. Worth keeping an eye on team news once it lands.
