U21 NEWS

Tait On Season Successes So Far

Paul Tait has admitted he has enjoyed a satisfying first half of the season in charge of Everton Under-21s.   

Tait was promoted to the role in June, having previously impressed leading the Club’s Under-18s, and it’s already been quite a journey for him and his squad across these first few months of the campaign.    

Tait and his staff have successfully implemented a new and exciting style of play that has produced plenty of scintillating attacking performances and standout results, with their victories against Paris Saint-Germain’s Under-21s and Mansfield Town in the Papa John’s Trophy just two of several that stand out.   

Speaking to evertonfc.com, Tait said: "It’s been a positive season for us so far.   

“From the beginning of the season to now, we have seen a good change in the style of play, which has been pleasing. We’ve also seen huge progress in all the lads individually. They’re two of the more pleasing aspects of the campaign so far.

“But then there are other aspects, too, like the boys at the top end of the age group getting recognised and going up with the First Team, travelling to Australia with them and getting loads of training opportunities.”   

Stanley Mills, Isaac Price, Reece Welch, Joe Anderson, Seb Quirk and Tom Cannon have all been key players for the Under-21s this season and were included in the Everton squad that participated in the Sydney Super Cup in Australia last month.    

Striker Cannon also made his second senior competitive appearance for the Club during Monday’s Boxing Day clash with Wolves.

“It’s been really good seeing so many lads get called up this season,” said Tait.    

“The communication between the Under-21s staff and the First Team staff has been excellent, and that’s down to Frank and his staff.

“They’ve been really good with us, they’re interested, and they watch our games whenever they can. When they’re away in hotels they’ll still watch the games back there.   

“They want to give young players an opportunity, but then it’s up to the boys to be good enough and to do well enough.“   

Although development is a key component of Tait’s role as the Under-21 manager, football’s competitive nature means positive results remain important, too.  

The young Blues have certainly produced plenty of those, particularly in the Papa John’s Trophy where Tait’s side secured standout wins against the likes of Hartlepool and Mansfield en route to reaching the last 16 where they bowed out with a valiant 4-2 defeat at League One side Lincoln City.    

“It was amazing, we all enjoyed it,” said Tait on their run in the competition.    

“We as staff enjoyed it immensely, coming up against seasoned professionals and experienced managers - the likes of Nigel Clough who has managed hundreds, if not thousands of games. It was great and a big education for us.   

“But also the players, too. They’re the main ones and it’s been excellent for them pitting their wits against experienced professionals while playing in big stadiums, all of which has been fantastic for their development.”   

Tait also joined Everton Live, our official matchday show, ahead of the contest against Wolves and was quick to pay homage to defender Ben Godfrey who was initially among the substitutes for the clash at Goodison before finally making his long-awaited return as a second-half substitute.   

Godfrey made a handful of appearances for the Under-21s as part of his road to recovery and Tait was keen to heap praise on the 24-year-old for his attitude and influence on the group.   

“He’s a fantastic professional. He’s been out for a while with that nasty injury, but it was great to have him in and around our younger players, especially our defenders,” said Tait.   

“For them to see him up close, how he works, how professional he is, and then, of course, for him to play in our team as well. He helped us a lot in terms of pace, strength and organisation. It was good to have him around.”  

Tait and his Under-21s return to Premier League 2 action on Friday 6 January when they welcome West Ham United to Southport’s Haig Avenue (7pm GMT).