Omari Benjamin arrived from Arsenal as a highly-rated u19 Wales international on the cusp of a first team breakthrough.
During the u21 Premier League season he scored an impressive eight goals in 18 games, making him the club’s top scorer in the competition. It puts him in the top ten goalscorers in the competition and while Divin Mubama is well ahead on 16 goals in first place, Benjamin is two years younger than the 21-year-old.
Benjamin is also not an out and out striker. While he deputised impressively in the position when Francis Okoronkwo moved on loan to Salford, he is not the physically imposing striker favoured by Everton teams. Martin Sherif later became the team’s focal point as Benjamin moved to a more comfortable position coming off the left wing.
That is not to say Benjamin is not physically impressive. His short stature does not impact his clear athleticism and he has a burst of pace to match his ability to run with the ball. Perhaps his best attribute is his close control in the box. He is able to manoeuvre the ball in tight spaces and has a knack for appearing in the right place at the right time to score goals.
His ability was evident in November when he scored both goals in a victory over u21 rivals Liverpool. The first saw his skip past a defender’s challenge after a neat one-two and slot past the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation, while the second showcased his tenacity as he pressed the goalkeeper into a mistake before scoring into an empty net.
Important goals seem to follow Benjamin. He scored a hat trick in his first youth game after signing for Arsenal and later repeated the feat against rivals Spurs. At Arsenal he said: “Given that I’m a forward, my playing style is attacking, but I do like to entertain the audience by beating players with skill. I love scoring goals – it’s an art that I’ve had since I was young and that has never left me.”
Everton have a 19-year-old with talent, a solid goalscoring record, international youth honours at Wales and even a Derby winner under his belt. Yet when Everton were suffering from injuries this year fellow u21 players Callum Bates, Isaac Heath and Martin Sherif were promoted to take a place on the first team bench.
The issue could be Benjamin’s best position. At just 5ft 8 he is not your typical target man striker, while even dropping back to the number 10 is problematic when Everton had Doucoure fit and ready to play.
Benjamin’s best position is probably playing alongside another striker or as a winger, cutting in from the left. Unfortunately for the talented youngster Everton have Illiman Ndiaye filling that position, while Dwight McNeil, Jack Harrison and Charly Alcaraz can also fill the position. It leaves Benjamin needing to displace a number of senior players before getting his chance.
The fact remains he is one of the closest u21 players to first team football and he still has two years minimum left at the club. That gives Everton the opportunity to find a loan for Benjamin that will get him a season of first team football at a high level. A Championship loan is essential for his development but no doubt he will get a chance to impress Moyes in early pre season, when Everton’s threadbare squad will need gaps plugging before the inevitable flux of transfers.
The exceptionally talented youngsters in Premier League football tend to skip a few steps when it comes to development. Harrison Armstrong went from relatively unknown u18 midfielder to first team debutant and then crucial Championship player in a club that miraculously survived relegation.
For others there is a slower way to the top. The Leon Osman and Seamus Coleman’s of the world all secured beneficial loans in their 20s before establishing themselves as top Premier League players and full time internationals. Omari Benjamin is on this path and an important summer will be followed by a crucial season in 2025/26.
Benjamin is the pick of the u21 players in Everton’s squad this season and has a huge chance to finally get his chance in the first team in the future. He has all the attributes and will be one to watch in the next few months as Everton look to rebuild their squad.