David Unsworth says Everton’s unstinting commitment to supporting young players and giving them a platform to have a successful career in the professional game was behind the Club’s decision to offer Harry Charsley a short-term contract.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who has penned a deal until January, had been a near-ever present for Everton’s Premier League 2 title-winning Under-23s team in 2018/19 before suffering serious back injury which sidelined him for the final three months of the campaign.
The Birkenhead-born Academy graduate has fought his way back to full fitness and been a key figure in the young Blues’ flying start to the 2019/20 season. He has played all but one of Everton's six league matches and scored in the 8-2 victory over Southampton on 30 August.
The Toffees are unbeaten in Premier League 2 and will go top of the table with a victory over Chelsea at Southport FC on Friday night (7pm).
Manager Unsworth detailed how Everton were eager to give Charsley an opportunity to impress ahead of the January transfer window.
Charsley, a Republic of Ireland Under-21 international, made his first-team Everton debut in a 3-0 Europa League victory at Apollon Limassol in December 2017.
"Harry's been with us since he was five or six,” Unsworth explained.
“He got injured towards the end of the season and it was a real serious injury, a stress fracture of his back.
"What we didn't want to do and what we don't do at this club is chuck kids to the side and not look after them.
“He couldn't do anything for three or four months and we have an obligation to look after the player.
"That's a responsibility I will always take because it's the People's Club. This is what we do. We do it properly. Myself, Marcel and the club felt that was the right thing to do.
"He's a great lad as well. When you've had a lad who's done absolutely everything for your team and your club for more than 10 years you've got to look after them.
"We felt it was the right decision to give him a contract until January to get fit and stay fit.
“We're on smaller numbers than we have been over the last couple of years so there's an opportunity to increase his profile and get himself a club in January."
