Everton To Celebrate Academy Day For Visit Of Arsenal

Everton’s home game against Arsenal this weekend will be Academy Day.

Throughout the Premier League era this fixture has been synonymous with home grown talent.

And, following Retro Day, Junior Fan Day, Giants Day and other successful themed matchdays this season, we will celebrate the importance of our youth set-up with a number of initiatives and activities.

The youngest intake of Academy players to currently represent the Club, our Under-8s, will be introduced on the pitch before kick-off.

The Academy youngsters will also have the honour of escorting the senior men’s teamplayers out onto the pitch, then at half-time two Academy scholars will take part in our regular 'Hit the Bar' competition in a bid to raise funds for Everton in the Community.

Also look out on the big screen inside the stadium for content celebrating the Academy stars who have graced Goodison.

One clip is sure to feature!

The nation was urged to 'Remember the name!' when Wayne Rooney scored the most famous first career goal in Premier League history in 2002. It would not be the last goal Wayne scored in this fixture.

A few years earlier, two Academy products were on the scoresheet in a thrilling 2-2 draw with the Gunners. Michael Ball and Danny Cadamarteri were both 17-years young when they were on target in 1997, while three years earlier David Unsworth was a marksman in another Goodison draw against the Gunners.

Everton's Academy has historically been hugely important.

When Rooney and Tom Davies were named in the matchday squad against Manchester United in 2017 it was the 1,000th consecutive match in which an Academy graduate had featured in our squad.

That incredible run started in a European Cup Winners’ Cup tie in October 1995, when David Unsworth was named in Joe Royle’s side for a 0-0 draw with Feyenoord at Goodison Park, and lasted for more than 20 years!

There will be different themes around our three remaining home fixtures following Saturday’s game. Look out for more information on evertonfc.com.