Keith Southern Reflects On A Memorable Under-18s Season

With their 2024/25 season now complete, Under-18s coach Keith Southern sat down with evertonfc.com to look back on a campaign full of challenges and pride.

Southern, who took charge of the Under-18s after Leighton Baines' move to the Men's Senior Team coaching staff, discussed the growth of his side over the course of the season, as well as the emphasis that his staff place on personal and professional development.

As well as claiming a third-place finish in the Premier League Under-18s (North) table, Southern's side also took to the pitch at Goodison Park, claiming two excellent victories over Wolves and Nottingham Forest in the Grand Old Lady's final season.

The Under-18s were also the very first team to take to the pitch at Hill Dickinson Stadium in a friendly against Wigan Athletic as part of our first test event in February.

Keith, we're at the end of the season for the Under-18s. Just give us your overall reflections on how the season has gone. There's obviously been a lot of changes off the pitch, but what are your reflections overall?

KS: Yeah, my overall thoughts initially are that the boys have done very well. It's always difficult for the new first-year scholars coming into the building in July, leaving school and then joining the full-time programme because it's become their job. I think they've made great strides this season and they've developed really well, as have the second years, by the way, but the first years have that adaptation period and they've come through that really well.

So, yeah, they've had some challenges along the way, which they always do. But they've had some great experiences as well, going to South Korea, Geneva in Switzerland and played an international tournament in Birmingham as well at the start of the season, all different challenges. They've come on in leaps and bounds from the first day of pre-season. From my point of view, I think I speak on behalf of everybody, and Leighton [Baines] will say exactly the same, I'd say there's been really good growth and gains from them all.

On the pitch, it was one defeat in the final 12 games for the Under-18s. How happy are you with what you've seen in that time, both in terms of what you see in-game but also in terms of their development?

KS: At this level the result at the end of the week is not the be-all and end-all. It has an importance, we don't shy away from that. We want to win and I think we have to prepare the boys to win, but it's not the over-riding factor. We're trying to relate it more to individual development, team performance and just development growth overall.

I think the winning of the games and the staying unbeaten is a by-product of the development, which is nice, and I think they can be proud of that. They had a really strong finish and finished third in a really competitive league, which United and City kind of ran away with. But to finish third, I think they'll be fairly proud of that.

It's the first time, like we say, that first-year scholarship boys come into a league table situation. They've come from school and they've never had that before, so they will reflect on that of course and their family and friends will. But the development of where the boy started to where he's actually going towards is the biggest thing for us and we've seen lots of growth and development in that area.

Let's talk about the pathway that we've seen as well. We've seen a lot of the players who have been in the Under-16s, some even from the Under-15s coming in and playing with the Under-18s. Does that demonstrate the strong pathway that's running through the Academy at the moment?

KS: Yeah, there's a clear pathway here at Everton Football Club – and there always has been. I was a scholar here in 1997 and had five great years here, which was the youth team and then the reserves, and there was always a pathway then.

There have been a few Under-16 boys who’ve had opportunities with us, which is great. They're a decent group that are coming to the building next season. They've made an impact and we've had Under-15 boys like Jonathan Nsangou who scored a couple of goals against Leeds and had numerous other games and made a big impact.

This Club is famous for giving players a pathway but they have to be good enough and that's our job — we have to get the boys ready for that level if possible. That's the aim, can we get them into our first team? If we can't, can we place them somewhere they can make a career in the game and maybe create some monetary value back into our Club? Then if it's not monetary value can we just provide these boys with an opportunity to go and stay in the game in whatever capacity.

Creating good people is important, I think we've always done that. There's a big onus on us as coaches and everybody in this Academy, the boys have to be ready and we have to give them the tools to be ready, if that makes sense, to hopefully make an impact if they get an opportunity at that end. But, like I say, this Club has always been built on terrific foundations for young players so hopefully that will continue in the future.

You see it going one way with the Under-16s stepping up and you see it going the other with the likes of Braiden Graham for example stepping up to the Under-21s. Justin Clarke has been up there at times this season among others. Is it a proud moment for you when you see that sort of progression?

KS: Yeah and that's what we try to do. We've had second years, the likes of Braiden, Justin, Josh van Schoor, Aled Thomas and George Morgan for example, making an impact with the Under-21s. Harrison Armstrong is obviously still scholar age and making an even bigger impact. He's been in the first team which is an extremely proud moment for everybody here and then he's gone on to have five or six wonderful months at Derby County which will be invaluable for his experience, so we're excited for his future as well.

We know they're talented but we're always keen at this Club to develop good people, as I said, obviously we want good footballers but good people is key. So there's loads to get our teeth into in the early stage of pre-season going into next season.

It's an exciting time because there are some talented boys in the Under-15s currently, which will be the Under-16s next year as the 16s now, as we said, are coming into their full-time job as scholars. The current first years become the senior ones of the group and they have to lead by example, show some good characteristics that they've seen from the current second years. Hopefully there's a lot to be excited about next season for the Club and the Academy.

You replaced Leighton as Under-18s Head Coach when Leighton moved to the senior team set-up. What have you personally found the biggest test this season?

KS: It’s football and it happens, doesn't it? There's change and it can come at any time. Obviously, the old manager left as Leighton went up to the first team. I was with Paul [Tait] with the Under-21s and I jumped at the chance to lead the 18s which I've really, really enjoyed. I've been at the Club a long time, some of these boys have been at the Club a long time too but I haven't actually worked with an awful lot of them, especially the first years. So I suppose the biggest challenge was developing relationships with them as quickly as I possibly can.

Usually you'd have the pre-season to develop that, you'd go away on tour and there'd be a lot more time. But I think that was key, just developing relationships with these boys and carrying on the good work the previous staff had done.

On the other side of the coin, what are you most proud of from this past season?

KS: There have been some real highlights for the boys. Playing at Goodison Park in the FA Youth Cup was an incredibly proud moment. I did the journey of what some of these boys are doing now, so I know what they're going through. I played in the Youth Cup myself at Goodison in 1998/99 and I have fond memories of that. I think knowing it was the final season (at Goodison) made it even more special. For Evertonians and football fans in general, Goodison Park is a magical place and it will be missed. I've got fond memories, and all of the staff said the same, of those particular nights. The Forest game before Christmas and the Wolves game are memories that will last a long, long time.

Being the first set of team and staff to walk out at Hill Dickinson Stadium [in the first test event] was a proud moment for us all. The result didn't go our way that night, but that again wasn't the be-all and end-all, it was a celebration of a new start, a new era that we can all be proud of and excited about. To play in front of 10,000 fans that evening, for Ray Robert to be the first Everton goalscorer as a school boy at the stadium, I think there's countless memories that the boys will take away from it.