Tait: How Under-21s Are Shaping Up For Season Opener

Everton Under-21s Head Coach, Paul Tait, is looking forward to the start of their Premier League 2 season, revealing he’s confident in the new additions to his squad.

The young Blues begin their 2024/25 campaign on Friday (7pm BST), when they take on Blackburn Rovers Under-21s at The Big Help Stadium in Southport.

Shortly after that encounter – their first league game of the season – the Toffees will make the short trip to face Tranmere Rovers for an EFL Trophy clash on Tuesday (7pm BST).

Previewing their opening fixtures, Tait told evertonfc.com: “We’re looking forward to it and we’ve got some great fixtures coming up in the first month. Obviously, it’s Blackburn on Friday, and we’ve got Chelsea, Man City – and sandwiched in between those games is the Tranmere match in the EFL Trophy.

“They’re different tests, but that’s what we’re always after. We get a lot out of those EFL games, so we’re really looking forward to that. Hopefully, with it being a local game, we’ll get a few people through the gate to make it a good atmosphere for the lads to play in.”

The squad has been bolstered over the summer – firstly through the arrival of Omari Benjamin at the beginning of last month. The 18-year-old Wales youth international excelled for Arsenal in the Under-18s Premier League, notching 14 goals and three assists in just 26 games.

This week also saw promising centre-back William Tamen join the young Blues from Burton Albion, where he gained valuable experience in men’s football, as well as competing in the EFL Trophy against Everton Under-21s last season.

New additions also arrive through the promotion of Under-18s, as Tait explained: “There are lads from the Under-18s – the first-year pros from last season – who have already played with us a bit. The likes of Callum Bates, Jacob Beaumont-Clark, Martin Sherif and Coby Ebere.”

“There’s George (Pickford) too. Fraser (Barnsley) and George are the main Under-21 keepers, but the older lads – like Billy Crellin and Harry Tyrer – will come down when they need games.”

The young Toffees have been without key players Harrison Armstrong, Jenson Metcalfe, Roman Dixon, Elijah Campbell and Reece Welch during much of pre-season, with that group earning crucial training sessions and gametime with Sean Dyche's Senior Team.

Tait believes pre-season has been positive, and – providing an update on the team’s injury list for Friday’s fixture, he added: “We’re not looking too bad because we got through pre-season well.

“There were a few little niggles. Matty Apter and Kingsford (Boakye) are out injured, but apart from that, we’ve been pretty good.

“We’ve had a group of players over with the first team, so they haven’t been around us as much, but we feel ready. We feel confident with the lads who’ve just come in from the Under-18s, as well.

“They’ll improve as the season goes on, so we’re very positive about the start of the season.”