Nsiala next to sign new contract

Earlier today I brought you the news that James Wallace had signed a new one-year contract with Everton, and the club have this afternoon announced that defender Aristote Nsiala has also been rewarded with a new deal.

Like Wallace, centre-half Nsiala spent time on loan in League Two last year - with Stockport's neighbours Macclesfield Town. The 19-year-old has not featured for Everton but has found himself on the bench during injury-hit periods of the season just gone.

On signing, Nsiala said: "I am happy, and dead excited - I'm happy that I've been given another challenge. Getting on the bench and scoring while on loan have been ups for me this season and I am looking forward to next season.

Wallace signs new Everton deal

Everton have today rewarded youngster James Wallace with a new contract. The attacking midfielder, who made his only senior appearance in the 1-1 Europa League tie with Sigma Olomouc in August 2009, has committed to the club for another season.

He spent three months at the end of last season on loan at Stockport County, but his impressive performances at Edgeley Park were not enough as the Hatters were relegated from the football league.

The 19-year-old was born in Liverpool but represented Ireland up to U-16 level, when it was found out that he was in fact ineligible to represent the Irish. Since, he has played for England U-19s.

On signing the contract, he told Everton's official website "I am delighted to sign a new deal at the club. I am made up it is sorted and I am just looking forward to pre-season."

Coleman's Ireland Lift Nations Cup

Seamus Coleman played the final 30 minutes in the Republic of Ireland's 1-0 victory over Scotland that saw the Irish lift the inaugural Nations Cup.

With both sides having recorded comfortable victories over Wales and Northern Ireland, this evening's match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin was the Nations Cup decider.

Robbie Keane's 23rd minute solo effort proved to be the winner as Ireland prevailed in front of a crowd of just 17,694. Everton youngster Seamus Coleman was on the bench, but came on as a 62nd minute substitute in place of Liam Lawrence.

The victory capped off a magnificent year for the ex-Sligo Rovers man. In addition to his Nations Cup medal, he has been crowned Everton's young player of the year and the Republic of Ireland U-21 player of the year and has accumulated 3 full international caps.

Looks like someone is going to need a bigger trophy cabinet...

Silly Season in full swing

The 'silly season' that is the transfer window has most definitely kicked in now as we find ourselves linked with all sorts of players. No doubt come August we will not have signed any of them, with Moyes instead choosing to sign a teenager who's done moderately well in the second division of some obscure Eastern European nation.

We can still get our hopes up though and each time the 'breaking news' ticker comes along onto the Sky Sports News screen, we'll perk up in anticipation that the impending line will mention us in some capacity.

Although, if you hear the name of Juan Roman Riquelme in the same sentence as Everton, it's pretty safe to say that it's not going to happen.

One piece of business has already been confirmed though, with 22-year-old striker James Vaughan moving to Norwich City for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £2.5 million. The youngster, who had been at Everton since the age of 6, has had terrible luck with injuries during his time at Goodison. It always seemed that just as he started to show his talent, he suffered an injury setback. I remember the injury he picked up against Bolton in 2007, just after hitting a fine run of form.

He does, however, has time very much on his side, and has a great opportunity to play Premier League football with newly-promoted Norwich. On Norwich's official website, Vaughan said:

"Of course it was hard to leave Everton, I've been there since I was six and have always been there but now it was time for me to move on and try and get some games elsewhere and I'm pleased that I've signed for Norwich."

And on his Twitter page, Vaughan added:

"I would like 2 thank every1 at everton for all they have done 4 me over the years! I will always love the club and the people there!

I'm sure I speak on behalf of all Blues when I wish Vaughany the best of luck at Norwich - I just hope he doesn't net against us. He's better off saving them for the red sh*te.

As for rumours I don't really want to comment as I prefer to wait until it's confirmed by the club, but various sources say that we are interested in, amongst others, Jay Bothroyd, Joey Barton and Miroslav Klose. Make of that what you will, but I'll reserve my judgement until they hold up the royal blue shirt outside Finch Farm.

Yobo Go or Yobo No?

Just a couple of hours after Everton had seen off an uninterested Chelsea side to end their season on a high, on-loan defender Joseph Yobo became a cult hero at Turkish outfit Fenerbahce, scoring the goal that saw his side claim the domestic title. 67 minutes into a tricky away fixture at Sivasspor, Yobo headed in from Emre Belezoglu's corner (remember him?) to put his side 4-2 up. The match ended 4-3, a result that saw the Istanbul giants pip Trabzonspor to the Turkish Süper Lig title courtesy of the head-to-head rule.

The league triumph was Fenerbahce's first in 4 years, and came after a remarkable run in the second half of the season that saw them win 17 of their final 18 fixtures. It looks likely that Yobo will make the permanent switch this Summer, but the Guardian reports that the fee represents a stumbling block in the transfer.

When Everton agreed to loan Yobo to San Kanaryalar (the yellow canaries) last Summer, the deal included a clause that allowed Fenerbahce to sign him at the end of the season for £6 million. However, the Turkish club have tabled an offer of just £2 million for the player, who still has three years left on his Everton contract.

Yobo will almost certainly be sold this Summer but hopefully we will get closer to the £6 million asking price. With three years left on his contract, I'm sure we could sell him to another club for more than £2 million.

Anyway, I trust Moyes will get the right deal for his first Everton signing. I would also like to thank Yobo for his service at Goodison and wish him luck in his career.

10 Reasons to be Positive

The title tells you all you need to know about what this post entails, so without further ado...

1) First and foremost, supporting Everton is a privilege and a blessing and we should always be proud to be able to say that we are Evertonians. We are born, not manufactured. We do not choose, we are chosen. Those that understand need no explanation. Those that don't, don't matter.

2) We have the best left-back in the country. Back in 2005 a certain Leighton Baines was plying his trade in the second tier of English football with Wigan Athletic, before being signed by David Moyes for an initial fee of £5 million. Now he has played for his country, captained his side in Europe and been crowned Everton's player of the year. His exclusion from the PFA team of the year was a disgraceful show of ignorance from his fellow professionals as his 11 assists (a total only bettered by Drogba and Nani) and 6 goals, coupled with solid defensive displays, have been a major highlight of our campaign.

3) It seems to happen to us every year but we've been blighted by injuries - and we surely can't have the same bad luck again next year, can we? Fellaini, Saha, Cahill, Arteta, Jagielka to name but a few have been out with long term injuries but should be fit and raring to go for the start of next year. Although, in Saha's case, it will probably only be a few games before he's out again.

4) We might have a bit of money to spend. We won't have as much as the teams around us, but Vaughan has already left for a decent amount of £2.5 million and Yakubu, Yobo and Mucha look set to follow. This could raise as much as £10 million for players that we didn't have last season - so they would not be a big loss - and with our manager's eye for a bargain, the money will be well re-invested.

5) Our season wasn't too bad. It was disappointing, yes. Frustrating, definitely. But we ended up a place higher than last year and in most other years 7th would have had us reaching for our passports once more. Add to that the fact that all the teams above us have spent much more money and our season doesn't seem so bad.

6) From 2011/12, UEFA are introducing a 'financial fair play' system that requires clubs to break even over a three season period. If they fail they will be banned from European competition, and so the introduction of the system should level the playing field and allow cash-strapped clubs like ourselves a better chance. It is the brainchild of UEFA president Michel Platini and you can read all about it here. At present Man City, Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool would all be ineligible to enter the Champions League or Europa League, although our neighbours would probably be able to bend they rules again like when they finished 5th in 04/05 but still managed to wriggle their way into the following year's Champions League. Not that I'm bitter or anything...

7) We have an excellent youth system. The academy that has produced, amongst others, Jeffers, Osman, Hibbert and Rooney, continues to churn out bright young talent. Jack Rodwell and Seamus Coleman are established members of the first team, whilst players such as Vellios, Gueye and Duffy are on the fringes. Add into the mixer Luke Garbutt, Ross Barkley, Jose Baxter and Joao Silva, and the under-18 side that were recently crowned champions of England, and there is plenty of scope for the future.

8) We have players coming back into form. Mikel Arteta has produced some performances towards the latter end of the season that have reaffirmed Evertonians' faith in the Spanish magician. John Heitinga had his best game of the season against Chelsea on the last day, whilst the return of Phil Jagielka has brought a renewed solidity to the back line. Jermaine Beckford looks like he's finding his feet at the top level, whilst even Victor Anichebe has put in a few good performances towards the end of the season.

9) There's no football this Summer. Whilst this may mean a few months of boredom for us fans, it's a positive for the players. They can all have a rest (except Rodwell, who is involved at the U-21 Euros) and be in peak condition in time for August. Tim Cahill has not had a proper rest for years, so it is especially pleasing that he has asked to be left out of Australia's Summer friendlies, choosing instead to concentrate on Everton.

10) Our manager is a genius. He has transformed the club from a mediocre side that twice narrowly avoided relegation from the top flight into a side that expects European football and is disappointed to finish seventh. He is more important than any player and in my eyes he is the next best thing to God.

Come on you Blues...

News round-up; Vaughan, Mustafi and Lundstram

A few snippets of new for you all this afternoon, starting with some developments on the James Vaughan front. Yesterday I brought you the story that James Vaughan was a target for newly-promoted Norwich City, with the fee was rumoured to be in the region of £750,000. Today, however, the muted price has more than tripled, with Sky Sports reporting that Paul Lambert is prepared to offer £2.5 million. Norwich chairman Steve Parish said "it is going to be difficult for us to compete with top-flight clubs", and it looks as if the injury-prone youngster is on his way to Carrow Road.

Next, ToffeeTalk revealed on their Twitter page that young defender Shkodran Mustafi has been called up to the Germany U-19 squad to face Hungary in a European Championship Qualifying game. He seems an exciting prospect for club and country and he's at the best place to have a positive career.

Finally, I would like to share an article from FourFourTwo about teenage midfielder John Lundstram. The Talent Spotter has penned an article describing Lundstram as 'powerful, aggressive and all-action', with an 'impressive range of passing'. Take a look, and keep an eye on Lundstram - another exciting prospect from the academy conveyor belt.

Vaughany off to Norwich?

A piece of transfer news this evening, regarding 22-year-old James Vaughan. Everton website GrandOldTeam have published a story linking the youngster with a move to newly-promoted Norwich City.

Vaughan netted nine goals when on loan this season at Crystal Palace, and a move to Carrow Road may provide the opportunity for the injury-prone youngster to play regular Premier League football.

In 2005 Vaughan became the Premier League's youngest ever scorer, notching after entering the fray as a substitute in the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace. Another highlight of his Everton career came when he scored a penalty against Man United in the 2009 FA Cup semi-final.

Unfortunately his progress has been pegged back by a series of knee injuries, although he did manage to make it into the 40-man provisional England squad for the upcoming U-21 European Championships.

Now Norwich manager Paul Lambert is said to be keen to strengthen his squad for the top-flight season ahead, and sees Vaughan as a realistic target at £750,000. Vaughan has had setbacks but, at 22, he has time on his side.

I hope he has a bright career, preferably at Everton, although I almost certainly see him moving on.

Season Review

It's been less than a week since the culmination of the 2010/11 league season and we are already facing up to the prospect of a long, football-less Summer, with only Jack Rodwell's involvement at the U-21 European Championships to get our Everton fix.

One thing we do get plenty of, however, is time. Time gives the opportunity for reflection, for optimism to breed and for fans to scour YouTube for compilation videos of their club's latest transfer targets.

I've decided not to waste my time researching our supposed transfer targets as I would be on YouTube all day with the amount of players we get linked to: Bothroyd, Campbell, Owen, Callejon, Ba, blah blah blah. I'll believe it when it's on the official website - and even then, I'll have my doubts.

Anyway, I've decided to pen a review of our season. Let's start at the very beginning which, in the words of Maria von Trapp, is a very good place to start.

August 2010

Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Everton: The season kicked off on August 14th at Ewood Park after a positive pre-season had fuelled aspirations of European football. However, the hope was quashed as we failed to recover from an early Nikita Kalinic goal. We played well enough to win the match but were found to be lacking in the final third, with Tim Howard's error gifting Rovers all three points.

Everton 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: The type of home game that summed up our first half of the season. Cahill gave us the lead but one goal was all we could muster, and we were duly punished.

Everton 5-1 Huddersfield Town: The first win of the season came in the Carling Cup, as Fellaini, Rodwell, Beckford, Saha and Osman saw off Huddersfield. A bad night for John Heitinga though, as the Dutchman missed a penalty and scored an own goal.

Aston Villa 1-0 Everton: A totally undeserved result. After we fell behind early on we dominated the match but once again could not find the net and we ended the month with a solitary point from a possible nine.

September 2010

Everton 3-3 Manchester United: One of the highlights of the season. We took the lead, only for United to score three without reply. At the end of normal time the points looked to be heading down the M62. Cahill and Arteta had other ideas though, and two goals in injury time salvaged a great point. Phil Jagielka almost completed what would have been one of the greatest comebacks ever but missed the chance to make it 4-3.

Everton 0-1 Newcastle United: After the excitement of the last home game, this one was a totally different story. Newcastle came, scored, defended and took home three points from the type of game we should be winning.

Brentford 1-1 Everton: An utter low point of the season. On a freezing cold Tuesday night we exited the Carling Cup at Griffin Park. After Seamus Coleman's goal was only enough to earn us a draw we lost in a penalty shoot-out. Although I did manage to high-five Yakubu as he collected the ball from in front of the Everton fans.

Fulham 0-0 Everton: A game that will not live long in the memory but we picked up just our third point of the season.

October 2010

Birmingham City 0-2 Everton: Our first league victory of the season was a straightforward one at St. Andrews. The pink kit got a second airing and goals from Cahill and a Johnson own goal secured victory.

Everton 2-0 Liverpool: A second successive win and suddenly everyone thought we'd turned the corner. The elation of derby victory is a high point in any season, and goals from Cahill and Arteta gave us all a day to savour in a season to forget.

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Everton: We stretched our unbeaten run to three games with Leighton Baines' exquisite free-kick earning us a point at Spurs. A good display meant that we returned with a very good point.

Everton 1-0 Stoke City: Our third win in four games made sure that we went the month unbeaten. Yakubu's goal was enough to see off a resilient Stoke outfit in a hard-fought match.

November 2010

Blackpool 2-2 Everton: Seamus Coleman bagged on his return to his old stomping ground as we twice came from behind against a free-scoring Blackpool side. Cahill got our other goal (above) and guess what - it was a header.

Everton 1-1 Bolton Wanderers: It was another disappointing home result, but notable for a fantastic goal at the death from Jermaine Beckford. He received the ball in the corner of the penalty area, took a touch and curled a shot over Jaaskalainen. Beauty.

Everton 1-2 Arsenal: Our seven match unbeaten run was ended by an admittedly excellent Arsenal side. Trailing by two, Tim Cahill's 89th minute goal could not inspire us to a comeback like the one we'd witnessed against Manchester United.

Sunderland 2-2 Everton: A lively but scrappy game ended two a piece. Cahill's header and Arteta's deflected strike sealed a point, but Beckford would have been disappointed he didn't make it three after missing a gilt-edged chance.

Everton 1-4 West Bromwich Albion: I don't even want to think about this one.

December 2010

Chelsea 1-1 Everton: A point at the home of the reigning champions was an impressive outcome, and the manner in which we earned it even more so. We were indifferent for the first period and were deservedly behind, but a Leighton Baines-inspired Everton kept going and were rewarded four minutes from time thanks to the striker's instinct of Jermaine Beckford.

Everton 0-0 Wigan Athletic: Just as it seemed we had turned the corner, a poor, poor performance. Wigan came to Goodison not wanting to be beaten and thanks to our lack of cutting edge, they weren't.

Manchester City 1-2 Everton: What better early Christmas present than a victory at (middle) Eastlands? Tim Cahill caught City napping to steal an early lead, and Baines had the audacity to nick a second within 20 minutes after a fluent team move. The bunch of overpaid, egotistical prima donnas were upstaged by a club with morals, values and spirit on a night that reminded us what we all love about Everton.

West Ham United 1-1 Everton: Our Boxing Day clash with Birmingham was postponed due to frozen pipes at Goodison, so we had time to finish the turkey before travelling to Upton Park. HIBBERT SCORED!!!!!!!!!!! Oh... wait... it was an own goal. Coleman equalised to claim a point.

January 2011

Stoke City 2-0 Everton: A New Year's Day trip to the potteries proved fruitless as we got exactly what we deserved. A bad day at the office.

Everton 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: A much improved team performance produced another great Goodison night. Louis Saha scored his first league goal for 11 months from 20 yards and Seamus Coleman's late header secured a deserved win. Moyes had a go at playing 4-4-2 and it paid off as our power and pace won an enthralling match.

Scunthorpe United 1-5 Everton: Just as in the Carling Cup we won our first tie 5-1. In the new third kit, sumptuously described as 'vanilla', we dominated an awful Championship side and Saha, Beckford, Coleman, Fellaini and Baines all scored in the rout.

Liverpool 2-2 Everton: 'Win at home, draw away' is the key to success in

football, or so we are led to believe by the pundits. After our victory in October, Distin and Beckford scored our goals to claim a satisfying point.

Everton 2-2 West Ham United: An unimaginative performance against a poor side left us needing equalisers from Bilyaletdinov, and then Fellaini, to earn a point in a match from which we'd have been looking to take all three.

Everton 1-1 Chelsea: After demolishing Scunthorpe we were given a much tougher test in the next round of the FA Cup. King Louis' goal glut continued and it would have sent us through but for a late Chelsea equaliser. Onto a replay then...

February

Arsenal 2-1 Everton: A month of ups and downs started with a loss at Arsenal. The King gave us the lead (although he was well offside) but we couldn't hold on.

Everton 5-3 Blackpool: A Goodison classic. Four goals from the man of the moment, Louis Saha (above), and a wonderful fifth from his strike partner Beckford. In an enthralling game the lead exchanged hands multiple teams leading to a score that was frequent in the days of Dixie Dean & co. What's more, it could have been five for Saha as another effort was incorrectly adjudged to have been offside.

Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Everton: From the sublime to the atrocious. This is what Everton do to you. Many suggested that this was the worst performance in Moyes' tenure, and the ginger genius cut a solemn and downbeat figure on the bench. If there was ever a game where I really could have done better than some of our players, this was it. Well, I couldn't have done any worse.

Chelsea 1-1 Everton: And from the atrocious, back to the sublime. We matched Chelsea for 90 minutes, taking the Cup replay to extra time. It looked, though, that all our endeavours had been in vain when Lampard scored for Chelsea in the 108th minute. Not to be deterred, and roared on by 6,000 Evertonians (1,800 Chelsea fans came to Goodison for the first leg), Everton fought on. Baines' last-minute free-kick earned a penalty shoot-out. Baines then contrived to miss our first penalty, but we pulled it out of the bag. Heitinga shoved Ashley Cole, Howard saved from Anelka and Phil Neville stepped up to score the winning penalty. Cue delirium in the Shed End.

Everton 2-0 Sunderland: We followed up the cup success with the type of comfortable and straightforward win that we had not had enough of so far the season. A brace from Beckford was enough for all three points.

March

Everton 0-1 Reading: Such was the way we knocked out Chelsea in round 4, many blues were thinking about whether a trip to Eastlands or Villa Park was on the cards for the quarter-final. This air of arrogance seemed to rub off on the players, who produced a lacklustre performance and were punished by a solid Championship outfit. We were not aided by the fact that Beckford arrived at the ground three minutes prior to kick-off having been stuck in traffic, but Reading were well-organised and deserved victors. After such a disappointing night we left with a slice of dignity intact after clapping Reading off the pitch - something that manager Brian McDermott and many of his players later eluded to.

Newcastle United 1-2 Everton: Everton: they knock you down and then they pick you back up again. An impressive victory thanks to goals from Leon Osman and Phil Jagielka. Arteta was moved to the wing where he had an excellent game.

Everton 1-1 Birmingham City: A fantastic goal from John Heitinga - his first for the club - was not enough not beat Birmingham. Once again, a fixture we should have won but didn't due to a lack of cutting edge.

Everton 2-1 Fulham: Everton marked David Moyes' ninth anniversary of taking charge with exactly the same scoreline - and against the same opponents - as his first match. Saha and Coleman scored our goals in a comfortable and deserved victory.

April

Everton 2-2 Aston Villa: A lively game which saw us take the lead through Osman before Darren Bent scored twice to give Villa the advantage. Bainesy levelled from the spot but we were incorrectly denied a goal when Beckford's effort was adjudged not to have crossed the line.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Everton: After a opening spell of Wolves pressure, we assumed dominance with three wonderful goals. The first was a Beckford header from a Leon Osman cross, the second a thunderbolt from Phil Neville and the third was the best of the lot - a 30-yarder from everyone's favourite Russian.

Everton 2-0 Blackburn Rovers: A straightforward, comfortable victory inspired by Leon Osman. Ossie provided a creative spark that unlocked Blackburn's defence, then Bainesy made sure of the victory from the spot.

Manchester United 1-0 Everton: Our unbeaten run came to an end after a resilient performance at the home of the champions-elect. We looked as though we may be able to snatch a point, but you can never write United off and they scored seven minutes from time. Ferguson then had the audacity to moan to Sky about the amount of extra-time given!

Wigan Athletic 1-1 Everton: A tale of two penalties at the DW: one taken, and missed, by Mikel Arteta and one taken, and scored, by Leighton Baines. A fair result though.

May 2011

Everton 2-1 Manchester City: A victory for class over cash, the spirit of Everton outclassed the Manchester mercenaries. After a dour first half we were 1-0 down, but in the second we witnessed Everton at their very best; unbridled, fluid and magic to see. Osman - 5ft 8" - scored one of the best headed goals of the season, and Distin grabbed the other.

West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Everton: After such a good win, we should have expected an uninspiring loss. And that is exactly what we got.

Everton 1-0 Chelsea: There was nothing to play for on the final day but we ended on a high thanks to a goal from Jermaine Beckford (above) that will go down as one of Goodsion's greatest. He picked up the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and ran solo to the opposite end, before calmly chipping over Petr Cech in front of the Gwladys Street. A standout moment in a forgettable season.

So, there you have it, my season review. We've been less consistent than my Mum's watery gravy and there's been more ups and downs than Jordan's knickers. But we have seen enough towards the end of the season to retain hope for the next campaign, and even though our season wasn't the best our seventh place finish was an improvement on last year.

It's a funny old game.

Coleman impresses in Ireland victory: Neville joins brother Gary in testimonial

The league season drew to a close with Sunday's victory over Chelsea, but two of Everton's first-team side were in action tonight. Seamus Coleman filled a void in the Irish side created by the enforced absence of Liam Lawrence, playing on the right side of midfield for the Republic in their Carling Nations Cup victory against bitter rivals Northern Ireland.

He was given the curly finger after 54 minutes, by which time his side were four goals to the good. The Irish went on to win 5-0 thanks to goals from Stephen Ward, Robbie Keane (2), Simon Cox and an own goal from Craig Cathcart.

Everton's young player of the season, making his second senior international appearance, was impressive throughout. His display was typical of those that Evertonians have been treated from the young Irishman all season long. His tireless running and energy played a role in two of his side's goals. For the first - Ireland's second - he pressurised a Northern Ireland defender into making a poor backpass, which allowed Robbie Keane to steal the ball and score.

He grabbed an assist for Ireland's third, when his low cross from the byline was flapped at by the 'keeper and Craig Cathcart found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, diverting the ball into his own net.

Trapattoni removed Coleman on 54 minutes to a good ovation from the small crowd in the Aviva Stadium.

Meanwhile, Phil Neville was invited back to Old Trafford to play in a testimonial match in honour of his brother Gary's career, which ended this year. The Manchester United class of '92 was reunited and played a Juventus side that included names such as Marchisio, Chiellini and Del Piero. The match finished in a 2-1 victory for Juventus. Wayne Rooney scored United's goal after 18 minutes, with Pepe drawing Juventus level on 40 and youngster Manuel Giandonato executing a spectacular free-kick to put the Italians ahead on 78.

Our skipper played at left-back, wearing the number three United shirt. The Old Trafford crowd bashed out a few renditions of 'Neville Neville' (to the tune of David Bowie's Rebel Rebel) whilst Phil put in a solid shift in the United defence.

David Beckham, who return to England coincided with a chance to meet the visiting Obamas, was man-of-the-match, pinging 40-yard passes like he was playing Subbuteo.

Phil tried an audacious chip from the edge of the penalty area on 85 minutes, but his effort looped just over the crossbar. Brother Gary, who had been substituted, looked on in disgust. Phil seemed determined to upstage his brother and pulled out some Messi-esque stepovers, but it was all in vain as Juventus prevailed 2-1.

After the event, Phil spoke to Sky, saying "it was a special night. I kept looking over at Gaz and he was struggling - I think he needs to get back in that gym!

When asked about his stepovers, he commented "I got a lot of fans asking me to do that tonight. It was a great night and great to be back. It was a special night for my Mum and my Dad.

"Gary's life is just beginning. He's got a new life with you at Sky now. I just hope he's not covering any games at Goodison Park because either I'll get criticised or he will!"

Brotherly love indeed.

Everton to play pre-season friendly with Bury

Everton have today announced a third pre-season friendly, to be played against Bury at Gigg Lane on 15th July. The announcement follows confirmation of a tour of America which will involve matches against DC United and Philadelphia Union.

Bury, nicknamed the Shakers, had a fantastic 2010/11 season which ended with a second place finish that secured promotion to League One.

Everton are no strangers to playing at Gigg Lane in pre-season, having played three fixtures there in recent years. In 2006, Victor Anichebe (2) and Mikel Arteta scored our goals in a 3-1 victory. In 2007, we won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Lukas Jutkiewicz. And prior to the 2009/10 season we lost 2-1, with Louis Saha scoring our goal.

The ties between the two clubs don't end there though - Bury are the hometown club of Everton captain Phil Neville and Bury skipper Steven Schumacher (above) is a product of Everton's academy.

So we've got a choice then: get down to Gigg Lane or get renewing that EvertonTV subscription!

More International action for Everton stars

A three-course serving of international news today. For starters I bring you the news that Victor Anichebe has been selected in the Nigerian squad that will play a friendly against Argentina in Abuja on 1st June, then an 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia four days later. Joseph Yobo, who is still an Everton player, but will probably move to Fenerbahce in the Summer after helping them win the Turkish league, is also included in the squad. However, there is no place for Yakubu.

Next up is the news that Seamus Coleman is on stand-by to play for Ireland tonight in the Carling Nations Cup match against Northern Ireland. Manager Giovanni Trapattoni has named his team but Liam Lawrence is a fitness doubt, and should he fail a test prior to the match then Coleman will play in his place.

And finally, the news that, as expected, Tim Howard has been included in the USA squad for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Gold Cup takes place from the 5th June until the 25th at thirteen venues across America. The US side will gather for initial training on May 26th, leading up to a friendly with Spain on June 4th. The USA will play their matches against Canada (June 7th), Panama (June 11) and Guadeloupe (June 14th). The USA, who have also included ex-Everton loanee Landon Donovan in the squad, are hot favourites to win the competition and win the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil.

Everton trio receive International Call-ups

The Everton trio of Jack Rodwell, Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka have all been selected to represent England this Summer.

U-21 midfielder Rodwell has been named in the England squad that will take part in the European Championships in Denmark this Summer. Boss Stuart Pearce trimmed his 40-man provisional squad to a 23-man squad that will travel to Denmark. Rodwell made the cut but James Vaughan, who spent the season on loan at Crystal Palace, did not.

The full squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers:
Frankie Fielding (Derby County), Jason Steele (Middlesbrough), Alex McCarthy (Reading)

Defenders:
Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jones (Blackburn Rovers), Michael Mancienne (Chelsea), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders:
Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Jack Cork (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Sunderland), Henri Lansbury (Arsenal), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton Wanderers),Jack Rodwell (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Scott Sinclair (Swansea City)

Forwards:
Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Connor Wickham (Ipswich Town)

England will take on Norway in a warm-up fixture at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium on 5th June, prior to their first match in the tournament on 12th June, against Spain. Then they face Ukraine on the 5th June, and then Czech Republic on 19th June. The top two teams in the group qualify for the semi-finals.

David Moyes said "It could have an impact on us next season in that Jack could be tired from playing during the Summer.

"But this tournament is what he need and I'm looking forward to him making a big impact in Denmark.

"I think it will be good for Jack and I'm all for him going to the tournament.

Meanwhile, Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines have received senior call-ups. England, who lie top of their Euro 2012 qualifying group, have arranged a friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on 4th June and a subsequent friendly against John Heitinga's Holland on 10th June.

The England squad in full is:

Goalkeepers:

Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City), David Stockdale (Fulham)

Defenders:

Leighton Baines (Everton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea, Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders:

Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Stewart Downing (Aston Villa), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Scott Parker (West Ham United), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Forwards:

Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur, Bobby Zamora (Fulham).

Good luck to Bainesy, Jags and Rodders - although I hope Rodwell doesn't play too well - just remember what happened after Euro 2004 with a lad named Wayne.

Beckford reaches double figures as Everton end on a high

Old Chelsea schoolboy Jermaine Beckford settled the match against his old side with a fine solo effort, later described by Manager David Moyes as being like something out of Roy of the Rovers. It certainly was a fine goal to settle a lively game that ended with Everton deservedly claiming the final points of the season.

The 1-0 triumph over the second best team in the country was succeeded by the customary lap of honour, as Evertonians were left to wonder 'what if?', whilst simultaneously bursting with hope for next season.

It was made even more impressive by the fact that we had to deal with a shocking refereeing performance, the sending off of Seamus Coleman and an opposing starting eleven that had been assembled for £160 million.

Moyes plumped for a 4-5-1 formation, dropping Anichebe in favour of Beckford. Phil Neville was ruled out after picking up a mouth infection following a midweek trip to the dentist, and so the midfield was Coleman, Rodwell, Heitinga, Osman, Arteta. The back five was unchanged.

It was an Everton display full of energy, atypical for an end of season affair, and we could have taken the lead early on. Rodwell's surge down the right hand side earned a corner, which resulted in Phil Jagielka's headed effort hitting the crossbar. The chances kept coming as we assumed control on the game. First Coleman, after a neat interchange with Beckford, found himself in a good position but took too much time on the ball and the chance escaped.

We then had a clear penalty claim, but referee Peter Walton, who had a 'mare by all accounts, waved played on after Osman was hacked down from behind by Alex. Osman couldn't believe it, and neither could the Park End crowd.

For all our efforts, Chelsea did, at times, look dangerous at the other end. Only some great defensive work from Distin and Jagielka thwarted Anelka and Lampard in Chelsea's attack. Chelsea had a spell of possession, but failed to carve out any more real chances, and we really should have been ahead before the half was out.

A fabulous pass from Arteta set Beckford free of Alex, but the striker contrived to send the ball out for a throw-in. It took a very slight deflection, but it was a horrendous miss.

That was the last notable action of the first half and just five minutes into the second we were down to ten men. Seamus Coleman lunged at John Obi Mikel and won the ball, but his studs were showing and the reactions of the Chelsea players contributed to the youngster receiving his marching orders courtesy of a second yellow card.

The Goodison crowd rose to applaud Coleman off the field in an acknowledgement of a fantastic debut season which has seen him win Everton's Young Player of the Year award and receive a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. Not bad for £60,000.

Chelsea, assuming a man advantage, took control of the game in midfield. John Terry went closest with a 20-yard strike that cannoned off the post, but it was far from one-sided. Petr Cech had to sprawl to keep out a Beckford effort, and Arteta's shot from the perimeter of the box went narrowly wide.

Chelsea had the ball in the net after Howard flapped at a free-kick and Ivanovic took advantage, only for the goal to be correctly ruled out as offside.

It was Everton, though, that took the lead with a 74th minute goal. And what a goal it was. It was a goal so good that it made a mockery of Everton's insistence that the end of season awards ceremony is held before the end of the season. It was a goal that had Goodison rocking and roaring with approval. It was the tenth goal of the season from Jermaine Beckford.

He picked up the ball just outside his own penalty area and drove up the pitch. With nobody in front of him but five Chelsea players, most centre-forwards would have been inclined to hold the ball up and wait for support. But Beckford carried on running. His sheer pace took him past two but the task was still monumental. On the half way line he was confronted by another pair of defenders. A lucky ricochet set him through, one-on-one with Cech. The ball had ballooned into the air, but Beckford controlled in perfectly in his stride, taking one further touch before executing a sumptuous chipped finish over the onrushing goalkeeper.

He stood, arms raised, in front of the Gwladys Street. The grand old lady was rocking. It was a goal so good that if it had been scored my Messi it would talked about for years.

Goodison was alive, it was party time. Torres, who had been largely anonymous, was taunted with cries of 'Ladyboy, ladyboy' and 'you're just a sh*t Jermaine Beckford'. The place was rocking.

Beckford's mazy run and finish proved to be a great end to a season of ups and downs that ended with a seventh placed finish, a slight improvement on last year.

This last day victory has inspired confidence amongst Evertonians. Now we just have to hope that our confidence hasn't vanished by the end of August.

My Alternative End of Season Awards

The annual Everton awards were held last night and Leighton Baines left with a deserved three-trophy haul, having won Player's Player of the Season, Player of the Season and Goal of the Season for his last-minute free-kick against Chelsea. Duncan Ferguson was honoured with the title of 'Everton giant', Seamus Coleman bagged Young Player of the Season, Jose Baxter took home the gong for Reserve Player of the Season and Jake Bidwell was crowned Academy Player of the Season. The Howard Kendall Award for Outstanding Achievement went to the league-winning U-18 side, whilst chairman Bill Kenwright honoured David Moyes and Leon Osman with his 'Blue Blood' award. The award for Ladies Player of the Season went to Natasha Dowie, who scored the winner in Everton's FA Cup final win.

Most of the results turned out as expected, so I thought I would have a go at dishing out some of my own, admittedly less prestigious, awards. Without further ado, I present to you my alternative end of season awards:

Game of the Season

It may have been a slightly disappointing season but there have been some real highlights. To name just a few - the Goodison wins over Manchester City and Liverpool, and the late comeback against Manchester United. For me though, in terms of sheer footballing entertainment, this award has to go to Everton 5-3 Blackpool. Both sides contributed to an absolute classic - one of the best games I have ever seen at Goodison.

Highlight of the Season

The season has brought some incredible highs, but none higher than the FA Cup 4th Round victory at Stamford Bridge. Six-thousand Evertonians, Heitinga's shove on Ashley Cole and, of course, Phil Neville's emphatic winning penalty. What a day.

Lowlight of the Season

Where to start? The 4-1 defeat to West Brom? Failing to beat Wolves and Wigan at home? The utterly abject performance at Bolton? There are, sadly, too many to mention. If pushed though, I would select the loss to Brentford in the Carling Cup. The way we exited both the cups was utterly disappointing, especially after holding so much belief we could reach Wembley again.

The Per Kroldrup Award for Flop of the Season

This was the year that Jack Rodwell was meant to cement his position in the side, and take steps towards fulfilling his potential. I still believe he can make it to the top, as does admirer Sir Alex Ferguson, but injuries and poor form have made him my flop of the season. In my opinion, he needs to start controlling games and move away from the Ray Wilkins-style 'crab' performances that we have seen from him this year. Also nominated for this award was Mikel Arteta.

The Classiest Moment of the Season

We may not have the resources of many other clubs, but one thing that Everton will always have in abundance is class. For me, the way that the majority of our fans stayed behind to clap Reading off the pitch after our FA Cup loss was a tribute to our club. It epitomised what Everton are all about and, although it didn't make up for our dismal showing that night, it gave us all a hint of pride.

The 'Love Him or Hate Him Award', sponsored by Marmite

This award can only go to one player - Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. I want to love Billy, and the talent is clearly there, but his performances are too inconsistent. He is an enigma: at times magical but at others lethargic and totally anonymous.

The Emmanuel Eboue Award for Winning over the Fans

I'm going to give this one to Sylvain Distin. Many were not sure about the French centre-half before the season, with most suggesting that Moyes' favoured pairing would be Jagielka and Heitinga. Aside from a few mistakes, Distin has been solid and dependable, and is probably only second to Leighton Baines in the running for player of the season. Has scored some vital goals to boot - against Liverpool and old club Manchester City.

The Lady Gaga Award for providing endless Internet Gossip

There is only one man deserving of this title - step forward Mr John Heitinga. Although the latest news is that he wants to stay, he has fuelled rumours of moves to, amongst others, Manchester City and Bayern Munich. He has been quoted as saying that 'I am always looking to move to a bigger club', and it seems that after every international break there is a new story linking him with a Goodison Park exit.

The Splinter-in-the-bum Award

It was to be expected, unless Tim Howard had picked up an injury, that Jan Mucha would spend the majority of the season on the substitutes' bench. That has proved to be the case, and the Slovakian number one looks set to move on in the Summer.

The Sandra Redknapp Award for Miss of the Season

Ok, so I realise it may not have been for Everton, and that the player has been on loan since January, but this award can only go to Yakubu's miss for Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup. It defied belief. It was so bad that it gets worse each time you see it. I mean, it was two yards out. Open goal. As Hawwy 'the dog' Redknapp said: "my missus could've scored!"

The Amr Zaki Award for unjustified early season hope

Not his fault at all - and I must point out he is a legend in my eyes - but I couldn't think of anyone but Tim Cahill for this one. His goals carried us through the first part of the season, but the Asia Cup unfortunately ruined his season. It's great news that he's said he'll be resting up over the Summer - we need him fit and ready for next season.

So there you have them, my end of season awards. Onwards and hopefully upwards as we look forward with hope to next season (although the hope will have inevitably gone by September).

Welsh U-21 International released in end of season cull

Welsh youngster Nathan Craig has today been released by Everton, ending a nine-year spell at the club. Despite becoming a regular for the reserve side over the last two years, Craig has only one senior appearance to his name, coming on as a substitute against BATE Borisov in the Europa League.

In an interview with the Caernarfon Herald, Craig said: "I'm obviously sad that I never quite made it into the first team, but I don't have any regrets.

"I did everything in my power to ensure that I would succeed at Everton, both on and off the pitch, I don't drink, I eat healthily, and keep very fit, but unfortunately it didn't quite work out at Everton.

"I'd obviously be happier if they would have released me after I'd made my Premier League debut, but at the end of the day that's football. One door closes and another one opens, and I hope I get a new club soon.

"I'll never give up on football, and I've already told my agent to start looking for new opportunities for me. A few have already approached him to say they would be interested in me going for pre-season training, but I can't tell you who at the moment.

"I'm just hoping to get a club where I can get regular first team football, week in and week out, as I think that is the most important thing for a young player like me.

"From the first day (at Everton) everyone was great, I made friends with coaches and players and it was easy to get to know the first team players as I lived with James Vaughan, Dan Gosling and Victor Anichebe.

"I've trained with players of the calibre of Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill so it's been a great experience for me. Once we were training with the first-team, and I had the ball out on the wing. Phil (Neville) came charging to try and tackle me, but I just nutmegged him and everyone laughed! Now he always points me out and says, you're the one who embarrassed me!

Remaining positive, the youngster added: "Onwards and upwards. I'd like to thank my parents for supporting me in every way for all of those years. Without them and the rest of my family I wouldn't be where I am today.

"I'd also like to thank everyone else who has shown their support, I really appreciate it, from the people at Ysgol yr Hendre and Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen (Craig's old schools), to everyone else in Caernarfon, and finally everyone who speaks to me on Facebook and Twitter. Keep the messages coming!"

He seems like a decent, positive and mature lad, and I, like all blues, wish him the best of luck in his career.

What next for Bilyaletdinov?

After Russian winger Dinyar Bilyaletdinov picked up a harsh 78th minute red card at the Hawthorns on Saturday, many Blues were left wondering if they had just seen the enigmatic midfielder play his last game for Everton.

The sending off for the challenge on West Brom's James Morrison has withstood an appeal from Everton to get the 3-match ban rescinded. Despite a written statement from Morrison saying that Bilyaletdinov didn't deserve to be shown red, Bilyaletdinov will miss our final game of the season, against Chelsea on Sunday.

So, has he played his last game for the blues? The Liverpool Daily Post suggest that this may be the case, claiming that Spartak Moscow are ready to offer the 26 year old a route back to Russia.

On the 21st April he gave an indication that his future was with Everton, through a message on Twitter: 'Hi there! Don't believe the rumors about Rubin. I'm the Everton player!'

However, there remains a question mark over his future.

He has shown glimpses of incredible talent. You need only to watch his goals against Manchester United, Portsmouth, Wolves and Norwich (in the pre-season friendly) to see this. Yet he has, all too often, been totally anonymous in games. He is an enigmatic maestro. When on song he is breathtaking and the skill is plain to see - but does inconsistency spoil his talent?

If the decision were left to me I would not sell. I don't think he would command a fee in excess of around £4-5 million, and I would keep the current squad together as much as possible. I know I say this every year, but just look at this side and tell me there is need for a huge change:

Howard

Neville - Jagielka - Distin - Baines

Coleman - Fellaini - Arteta

Cahill - Osman

Saha

And whilst I don't see Bily fitting into Moyes' strongest side, he is undoubtedly talented and we all want to see a few more of those magical 40-yard screamers!

Yobo set for Turkish title-decider

The English League may have already been tied up, but in the Turkish Superlig the title race hangs in the balance with just one round of fixtures to play.

There is an Everton link in this story, as Istanbul club Fenerbahce, who are battling with Trabzonspor for the title, include in their ranks Nigerian defender Joseph Yobo, who is still an Everton player.

Both teams are level on 79 points, but with Fenerbahce having a 7 goal superior goal difference, Yobo knows that an away victory at Sivasspor will land his side the title. Trabzonspor must travel to 8th placed Karabukspor.

Yobo has been speaking to BBC Sport about his time in Turkey:

"It's been a long battle and we have to do all we can to realise the title dream on the last day of the season. We respect our final opponents, our rivals, and this is a good thing for the Turkish league. I've never won a league title before in my career. I made the sacrifice to be here and am happy with the club, team-mates, fans, country and the league."

With Fenerbahce enjoying a great run of form, winning sixteen of their last seventeen fixtures, and going 853 minutes without conceding, it looks likely that they will bring the title back to Istanbul after a four-year wait.

The more pressing matter for Evertonians is the future of Joseph Yobo. From the quotes above he seems happy in Turkey, and is likely to sign for the champions-elect this Summer. His loan deal reportedly included a clause that allowed Fenerbahce to sign him at the end of the period for £5 million.

It seems like looking a good move for player and both clubs. We have enough centre-back cover and the £5 million would be £5 million more than we'd usually have.

A good servant for Everton, I wish Joseph the best of luck on Sunday, and for the rest of his career.reading the main story

Baines: Should he stay or should he go?

We have only just passed the mid-point of May, but once again there are rumours aplenty linking our players with exits from Goodison Park this Summer.

At a special Q&A evening for Season Ticket holders last month, chief executive Robert Elstone was refreshingly honest in his admission that we would have to 'sell to buy' this Summer. We are led to believe that David Moyes will meet Bill Kenwright this week to discuss the our intentions in the upcoming transfer window. With our budget one can assume that it will a short meeting.

One rumour that persists in most of the newspapers is the one linking Leighton Baines to FA Cup winners Manchester City. There has, reportedly, been interest from a number of other clubs, namely Arsenal and Tottenham, but it is unlikely that these clubs would be willing to match a bid the size of the £25 million one that Manchester City are said to be preparing. It is also thought that Baines would prefer to stay in the North-West of the country.

It was only last Summer that City spent £26 million on a pair of left-backs, with the signings of Aleksandar Kolarov and Jerome Boateng from Lazio and Hamburg respectively. Kolarov has been solid throughout his debut season in England and, like Baines, is a potent attacking threat. However, Boateng is said to be unhappy at being second in the pecking order and at times he has even been overlooked in favour of Joleon Lescott, who was, of course, the individual at the centre of a monumental transfer tussle between Everton and City during the Summer of 2009.

Here's my views on the Baines transfer possibility. I DO NOT want Leighton Baines to leave the club. Undoubtedly our player of the season, he has been our saviour at times in an extremely tough campaign. There are so many highlights from his individual season; the free kicks at White Hart Lane and in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge, his performance against Chelsea in the league match at Stamford Bridge which single-handedly salvaged us a point, not forgetting his FA Cup goal at Glanford Park that has made the shortlist for goal of the season.

I really hope that Baines stays at the club. If I were to place a bet on where he would playing come September, I would say Goodison Park. He is a boyhood blue, is in the form of his life and enjoying his football.

However, we must face the facts, and there are reasons why he may want out. He is 26 years old and may feel that he needs to move to make he most out of his prime footballing years. Due to whatever reason (money, money and more money), City are much more likely than us to win a major trophy. They would provide a stage for Baines to compete on a level that he is capable of playing at, a level that he will not be able to play at with Everton for the foreseeable future at least.

He will be able to test himself in the Champions League against the best players in the world, the ultimate aim in club football. On the international stage he is currently on the fringes of the England squad, but it is a sad fact of life that he would be first-choice ahead of Ashley Cole if he played for a 'bigger club'.

Again, I state that I would love him to stay, but I recognise he may have good reason to leave. So, if the worst came to the worst, what would happen?

Moyes needs to confront the dilemma now. He needs to talk with Baines and his agent, discuss the possible moves. He should try to convince him to stay and if a more lucrative contract is needed to do that then so be it. If, however, Baines has decided he wants to move on, get the deal done quickly. We need time to replace him, to use the money to strengthen other areas of our squad, and to prepare for life without him. When Lescott left in 2009 he did so in the very last week of the window, leaving little time for us to adjust. It left us unsettled and badly prepared and I have no doubt that this was a major factor behind our disastrous start to that season.

If we do decide to sell, Moyes needs to get a deal that will appease the fans and, at the same time, benefit the club.

If I were the Moyesiah, and IF Baines wanted to leave, I would sell him for £15 million + Jerome Boateng. The City left-back is a good defender of international class and if Baines arrived at Eastlands he (Boateng) would be relegated to being the third choice left-back there. At a Baines-less Everton he would be first-choice. He may not carry the attacking threat of Baines but he is a more than able replacement.

What's more, this could provide us with about £15 million to improve other areas of the squad. I reckon we could sign Landon Donovan on a permanent deal for £10 million - surely he would love another stab at the best league in the world? The remaining millions would be given to Moyes to work his magic - to find a signing in the mould of the Cahill and Arteta signings. As per usual at this time in the footballing calendar we have been linked with a number of players and £5 million could secure someone such as Espanyol winger Jose Callejon, who we are said to have been tracking.

I repeat again, I want Baines to stay. But if he wants to leave, tell him to pack his bags straight-away. Get in a replacement left-back and use the rest of the money wisely.

No player is bigger than Everton Football Club.

Everton U18s defeat Fulham in Final

Everton's academy showed the first team how it's done as they were crowned the best academy side in the country at Craven Cottage on Friday night.

Their victory is made even more impressive by the fact that their opponents were Fulham, and therefore the Thames-side venue was hardly a neutral one. The young blues were also with three of their most important players: Hallam Hope and John Lundstram were on England duty, whilst Swede Johan Hammar picked up an injury 15 minutes into the semi-final victory over Aston Villa.

The side, managed by Ray Hall and coached by a team including Neil Dewsnip and Everton legend Kevin Sheedy, fell behind just after the 70th minute, but showed togetherness and true Everton spirit to overturn the deficit and return to Mersyside as champions.

From what I've read the affair wasn't the liveliest but some Everton youngsters showed promise, especially Sporting Lisbon loanee Eric Dier. He had a good game alongside Jake Bidwell in the heart of Everton's defence, although he made a slight error that might well have cost the visitors a penalty.

Various reports have also singled out Connor McAleny, who has sat on the first-team bench a few times this season, and Tom Donegan.

McAleny: star of the future?

The game kicked into life in the final 20 minutes. First Fulham took the lead when forward Ross Minkwitz fired a low shot into the corner from 12 yards on 74 minutes. The goal seemed to galvanise the young toffees who hit back, inspired by forward Adam Thomas. Thomas equalised on 81 minutes, capitalising on a poor Fulham clearance to slot home.

The scorer then turned provider, crossing for substitute George Waring to plant a header over the keeper and into the net. The goal cued wild celebrations which continued after the academy side managed to hold on and lift the U18 League Trophy.

The young toffees celebrate taking the lead

Captain fantastic: Jake Bidwell with the trophy

Congratulations to the young blues!