News that Everton’s Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia will be leaving the club means it is all change at goalkeeper level.
The departing Begovic has previously praised Everton’s goalkeeping set up and the club is recruiting for a new academy goalkeeping coach to ensure the pipeline continues.
But who is coming through that pipeline? Here are all of Everton’s goalkeeper options heading into a huge summer for the club.
Jordan Pickford is Everton’s and England’s number one goalkeeper. The 31-year-old has many years left as the club’s number one and is contracted for the next two years (expiring 2027). Do not rule out another extension as his brilliance continues to win Everton points at difficult moments.
Everton have been fortunate that Pickford has remained relatively injury free but Joao Virginia seems to be the club’s number two after impressing in the League Cup defeat to Southampton and the FA Cup win over Peterborough this year. However at 25 and with his contract expiring, he will now leave the club for first team football.
Meanwhile, veteran Asmir Begovic is in his second spell at the club and is almost a player-coach. He will also leave at the age of 37.
It leaves Everton with just one senior goalkeeper in the squad and the club will need to recruit to fill the gap.
Crosby-born Harry Tyrer made a name for himself when he played a friendly against Preston at Goodison Park. He was superb, making crucial saves and even getting an assist in a 2-0 win. Since then he has had three successful loans at Chester in the National League North and Chesterfield in the National League, before a move to League One Blackpool this year.
Despite a shaky start where his command of the box was questioned, he become the club’s number one under manager Steve Bruce and has played 38 matches. Bruce told the Blackpool Gazette: ““Harry is a different goalkeeper altogether to the one that started the season. He looks very assured, and has done exceptionally well.
“We have to be respectful to Everton. If they’ll give us him back, then we’ll take it.”
Tyrer’s contract runs out on 2026 and if Everton do keep him for another year he could be first in line to take over Virginia’s role.
Billy Crellin is likely to leave the club in the summer. The 24-year-old has been on loan at Accrington Stanley in League Two and his contract runs out this year.
Slovenian u21 international Zan Luk Leban has just two u21 games this season because he has often been called up to first team duties. That suggests David Moyes is a fan of the 22-year-old and one of those games was a superb performance in a 2-0 win over Liverpool in October when he made several match-winning saves.
Leban has only had a loan at Farsley Celtic last year and his contract is up this season. He could be another out of the door this summer if he can’t convince the management team he is a Virginia replacement.
At u21 level Fraser Barnsley and George Pickford are probably closest to first team action. Barnsley has played nine u21 games for Everton this season including the league playoff defeat to Manchester United in their final game. He also started in the Liverpool Senior Cup win over Lower Breck.
His season has also included starts for Northern Ireland u21s but Everton will have to move to secure his future at the club as his contract expires in 2025. The 20-year-old, who was signed from Oxford United two years ago, would be an obvious option to re-sign this year.
George Pickford has enjoyed a meteoric ride through the u18s into the u21s. The 18-year-old signed a two year contract last year so will definitely be at the club next season. Pickford is an England u18 international and has made a habit of excellent performances in mini derbies against Liverpool. He has played seven games for the u21s this year.
The third main contender for Everton’s back up goalkeeper is Douglass Lukjanciks. The 17-year-old English keeper signed a contract at the club this year having been at Finch Farm since the age of 12. Major clubs were sniffing around Lukjanciks before then, with a £10m price tag mentioned thanks to his superb ability on the ball.
He is yet to make an u21 appearance but is a regular for the u18s and England youth teams. When he signed his first contract he said he wanted to be club and national number one and it would not be a surprise given how highly rated he is at the club.
There are a handful of other goalkeepers at the club but none will trouble the first team next season. Goodness Chiemerie Gospel-Eze at 16 has already appeared for the u18s, while
Luke Forsyth joined Everton in recent months when he was surprisingly named on the bench of Everton’s 5-4 victory over Spurs at u21 level. He is not named on the Everton website yet but has joined the club.
Abdulla Alhammadi, who played at Everton’s first test event at Bramley Moore stadium, was not signed after coming over from UAE for a trial.