Academy Awards 2015/16

Players from the Everton Academy attended their annual end of season awards ceremony on Monday evening. The event, which took place at Liverpool’s St George’s Hall, had all teams from the Academy in attendance, ranging from the Under-6s through to the Under-18s. The youngsters were accompanied by their families on a night designed to recognise the efforts made by all players associated with Everton. The most prestigious prize of the evening - the Keith Tamlin Award - is given to the player who has contributed in all aspects at the Club. This includes being a role model not just on the pitch, but also off it. This year’s winner was Tom Davies, who has impressed for the Club’s Under-21s this term, as well as making his first-team bow against Southampton last month. He said: "It was a great moment. I’m really proud to win the award and it means a lot because it shows my hard work is being recognised. "A lot of good players have won this award in the past, the likes of Ross Barkley. I’d love to emulate the success he’s had with the first team and what he’s done since. "I’ve worked hard but it’s really all down to the coaches here, the way they’ve taught me and the way they’ve helped to raise me to be as a person as well. "I’ve worked a lot with David Unsworth this season, he’s made me into the player I am now - and he’s someone I really have to thank. "It’s been a great year for me on a personal level. There have been plenty of highlights but my first-team debut is definitely the biggest highlight because it’s something that I’ve dreamed of for so long. Hopefully I can get more of that and this is just the beginning." Meanwhile, fellow Academy graduate Kieran Dowell (below) was named the first ever winner of the Tony Heslop Award, a prize chosen by the Club’s coaches and staff to reward a youngster who “represents The People’s Club with distinction and passion”. Other big winners included Nathan Broadhead, who won the Under-18s Player of the Season and James Graham, who was awarded Sir Philip Carter’s Education and Endeavour Trophy. Anthony Gorst of the Under-10s won the Goal of the Season award for an impressive back heel, beating off a host of other great strikes, including long-range efforts from Dowell and Liam Walsh. Ambassadors Graham Stuart, Ian Snodin and another of the Academy’s success stories, Matthew Pennington, were also in attendance, answering questions on stage before helping to hand out the prizes. Accolades were given out to each age group from the Under-6s onwards, and every player was given a pennant in recognition of their efforts. Academy Director Peter Vint, added: “It was a terrific night. The venue was beautiful and the attendance from the players and their families was a tribute to what this Club is all about. “It was great to see everyone in one place and to have a chance to celebrate all the success we’ve had in so many different tournaments this season. It’s been a very good year for us. “The Club continues to demonstrate a commitment to bringing players through the Academy system and to have four players [Pennington, Dowell, Davies and Callum Connolly] up on stage, who have recently been playing in the first team, is a great inspiration to everyone else in the room. “Now we look forward and try to make a process that is already so great and so strong even better. It’s a great challenge, a great opportunity and I feel privileged to have the chance to do it. “The ambition is to be the best. It takes a time and it’s nothing superficial, it’s about helping these young players fulfil their potential and making them exceptional.”