Everton u18 attacker Ray Robert, best known for scoring Everton’s first goal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, has signed a three-year professional deal at the club.
Robert, who has two goals and two assists in five games for the u18s this season after being moved to a striker role, has signed a deal after turning 17 and follows fellow scholars Douglas Lukjanciks, Braiden Graham, Justin Clarke and George Finney in signing a year before their scholarships end.
It is a new strategy from Everton to tie down their talented youngsters early after previously seeing promising players leave the club before signing a professional deal. The likes of Thierry Small, Ishe Samuels-Smith and Emiliano Lawrence and Isaac Price have all previously left the club on free transfers.
Robert’s deal also follows another Everton trend in recent years – fast progression from academy to u18 level. Robert made his u18 debut at the age of just 15 and several other young players including Jon Nsangou and Jake Doughty, both 15, have also been promoted early in order to showcase a pathway for them prior to being offered scholarship terms.
Robert, a striker described as possessing plenty of pace and tenacity, also enjoyed a strong pre season at Everton. He scored twice in a 6-0 victory in the opening match of the pre season Bermuda Cup. He followed it with four goals in a 10-0 victory next time out, and opened the scoring in the semi-final of a tournament Everton went on to win comfortably.
While that tournament featured less advanced opponents, Robert then scored four times in five games as Everton u17s beat some of Europe’s top sides to retain the Geneva Cup in Switzerland.
Robert opened the scoring in the opening game against Benfica, which ended 2-2. He then scored twice in a 3-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna in the semi-final and opened the scoring against Benfica in the final.
He has built on that pre season with a number of fine performances for the u18s where he has established himself alongside Cieran Loney as the side’s main attacking threat.
It may be some time before Evertonians get a chance to see Robert in first team action. At just 17 he will likely progress to the u21s in the next couple of years as he continues his rise through the ranks at the club.
He joins a list of exciting strikers at academy level at the club. At u21 level Martin Sherif is on loan at Rotherham, while George Morgan and Braiden Graham are regulars at the older age level.
Cieran Loney, who himself signed a two-year professional deal with the club, has already played for the u21s and at younger age groups the likes of Jon Nsangou and 13-year-old Josh Chigwada are highly rated in the Everton academy.