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Nenhum atleta gosta de ficar fora, se recuperando de lesão. Mas elas fazem parte do ofício. E é preciso passar por esse período com muito pensamento positivo e força de vontade. É a receita de Eduardo Person, meio-campista do Guarani.

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O atleta acabou machucando o joelho. Passou por cirurgia e já no fim de semana recebeu alta. Agora, o foco de Eduardo Person é de ter paciência e não pular etapas.

‘Graças a Deus a cirurgia foi um sucesso, ocorreu tudo bem e eu agradeço a todo corpo médico que esteve envolvido. Agora é focar em voltar mais forte ano que vem. Tem que ter pensamento positivo sempre, cabeça boa. Estamos iniciando o processo de recuperação’, afirmou.

Eduardo Person já iniciou nesta semana a fisioterapia no Guarani. Sempre em dois períodos.

‘Tem que trabalhar muito agora, todos os dias. Já iniciamos a fisioterapia aqui no clube pois não podemos perder tempo. Claro que não pode pular etapas, tem que respeitar o processo. O Guarani tem uma estrutura boa e vamos voltar com certeza mais fortes’, finalizou.

The Premier League bears witness every year to the stars of the future making their debuts and also wily veterans at the other end of the spectrum.

Players young and old make their presence felt on English shores whether it be goalkeepers in their 40s such as Brad Friedel, Mark Schwarzer and Jens Lehmann or teenagers like Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri getting a runout at just 15 last season.

With this in mind, Football FanCast has ranked the Premier League clubs from the oldest squads to the youngest, as per Transfermarkt.

Data correct as of 20th October 2023.

20 Fulham – 28.5 years

Marco Silva’s Fulham take the crown for being the oldest squad in the Premier League for the 2023/24 season thus far.

28-year-old Aleksandar Mitrovic left for Al-Hilal, with Shane Duffy and Anthony Knockaert amongst the Cottagers over 30 to also recently depart the club.

Meanwhile, Raul Jimenez joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the age of 32 was the oldest arrival at Craven Cottage, showing that Fulham have always boasted an older squad as opposed to this being a new phenomenon.

Tim Ream and Willian are the oldest two members at 36 and 35 respectively.

19 West Ham United – 28.1 years

Remaining in London, West Ham United are another club who are known for having several experienced heads in their side, particularly in defence.

James Ward-Prowse was their oldest signing of the summer at 28, whereas Declan Rice and Gianluca Scamacca left the club, both of whom are 24.

Lukasz Fabianski is currently one of the oldest players in the league, with the Polish goalkeeper having turned 38 back in April.

18 Newcastle United – 26.7 years

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle are next, with their average age of just under 27 one of the league's highest.

Selling 31-year-old Chris Wood and 32-year-old Karl Darlow, combined with the youthful new arrivals hasn’t done much to move the Magpies any further down this particular list.

No one at St. James’ Park is particularly old but it all adds up, with 10 players being 30-plus – four of them goalkeepers.

17 Crystal Palace – 26.7 years

Crystal Palace follow a similar trend with the defensive trio of James Tomkins, Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne having been about a bit.

With Roy Hodgson at the helm, the Eagles are led into battle by the oldest-ever manager in the Premier League and the average age of their squad is fairly high too at 26.7, the same as that of Newcastle. They do, however, have a slightly smaller squad than the Magpies.

16 Luton Town – 26.4 years

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is the only man in charge in the Premier League younger than 40-year-old Hatters chief Rob Edwards.

Luton Town’s average age, meanwhile, is 26.4 – with their summer business being very mixed once again.

Ross Barkley and Thomas Kaminski have arrived, who are 29 and 30 respectively, whilst Tahith Chong and Ryan Giles are both only 23.

Goalkeepers do tend to be on the older side as that is represented by Tim Krul being the oldest in the squad at 35, plus James Shea is close behind at 32.

15 Nottingham Forest – 26.4 years

Ibrahim Sangare (25), Murillo (21), Nicolas Dominguez (25), Matt Turner (29) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (22) have arrived at the City Ground and gone straight into Steve Cooper’s starting XI, with the American goalkeeper being the only player over their average age of 26.4.

There has been so much turnover for Nottingham Forest in the last couple of years that it is a struggle to keep up to date.

One thing we do know is that Wayne Hennessey and Harry Arter are amongst the oldest players in the squad, bringing the average up, even though they rarely feature on the field.

14 Everton – 26.3 years

52-year-old Sean Dyche is near enough double the average age of his squad, with Everton coming next at 26.3 years.

Youssef Chermiti has joined from Sporting CP and is just 19, while the signing of Ashley Young on a free transfer from Aston Villa makes him an outlier at 38.

A similar picture is painted when it comes to the outgoings, as 36-year-old Asmir Begovic joined Queens Park Rangers whilst Tom Cannon (20) and Ellis Simms (22) were amongst the youngsters to depart, signing for Leicester City and Coventry City respectively.

13 Manchester United – 26.3 years

Finishing comfortably mid-table in these rankings are an indifferent Manchester United side.

The signings of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Jonny Evans haven’t done the Red Devils any favours when it comes to the average age of their squad.

It currently sits at 26.3 with the aforementioned trio pulling that way up alongside 37-year-old goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

12 Brighton & Hove Albion – 26.2 years

Brighton and Hove Albion’s average age is marginally lower than that of Manchester United's and that can only have been lowered by their summer signings.

Five of their eight arrivals were 21 or younger, including Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati. Meanwhile, James Milner is at the opposite end of the spectrum, bringing a wealth of experience to the midfield at 37.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Milner is therefore the oldest player at the Amex, although he is closely followed by former Liverpool teammate Adam Lallana at 35.

11 Aston Villa – 26 years

Placing in 11th of this particular table are Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, even though they parted ways with the aforementioned Ashley Young.

Young may have left, but so did Cameron Archer and Jaden Philogene, both 21, with their destinations being Sheffield United and Hull City respectively.

Their average age comes in at 26 on the dot.

While there is now more familiarity off the field, Buttler expects the rivalry to be as competitive as ever once the first Test begins.

Melinda Farrell28-Jul-2018Jos Buttler believes friendships formed between England and India players during the IPL will be “forgotten” on the field during the Specsavers Test series. Virat Kohli, who captained Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes at Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this season has spoken of improved relations with English players because of time spent in the IPL but, while Buttler agrees there is now more familiarity off the field, he expects it to be as competitive as ever once the first Test begins.”There are a few guys I have played with,” said Buttler. “Naturally you have friendships with them but on the field they seem to be forgotten and everyone is competitive. There are familiar faces, guys you know a bit more about than just the cricket. That is one of the great things about world cricket now. You get these opportunities to play around the world and meet these great people. There is a lot more familiarity between the sides than there ever has been before.”Buttler, who played for the Rajasthan Royals during this year’s IPL, said there was a distinct difference between match days and the time in between during last month’s limited-overs series between the two sides.”Not on the pitch but maybe on the training days and around the lunch room. Moeen played with Virat at RCB and [Yuzvendra] Chahal. I saw them getting on quite well. I have played with Hardik Pandya at Mumbai so you are open to having a chat.”I am sure there will be moments in the Test series, especially on the field, when those things look like they have been forgotten. It will be highly competitive. What you have to remember is people can get on well but the reason guys have got to international sport is they want to win and are competitive so it will be no different on the field. Off it maybe a little bit.”Buttler’s form in the IPL and other white-ball matches was a major factor in his recall to the England side for the Test series against Pakistan and, aside from building friendlier relations, playing in the tournament has also given him the opportunity to gain some first-hand insight into the skills and approaches that set hugely successful players like Kohli apart.”[They] make less mistakes under pressure,” said Buttler. “They seem to make the right decision a lot of the time. That is a skill. The hunger to do it day in day out at training, in the matches whether they have had successful matches the day before or not. That hunger really shines through in those top players. As well there’s Kumar Sangakarra, watching him play in county cricket, that desire and want to be the man to win the game for his team every day shines through in these players.”The biggest thing I have learned from the IPL, it is obvious what the best players do and why they are the best players and stand-outs. They just have a different mentality, a winning mentality in every game and the consistency to do that.”I feel like I have learned a hell of lot from watching guys train and go about their practice, ways they react to certain pressure moments in a game as well. Someone like Virat Kohli is an immensely talented guy but also watching him go about it you see that mentality of getting to the top, likewise with other players [like] David Warner and Steve Smith.”While Buttler made two half-centuries against Pakistan earlier this summer, his highest score in the 20 Tests he has played remains the 85 runs he scored on debut, when he replaced Matt Prior in the third Test against India at the Ageas Bowl in 2014. He says he is prepared to bat further up the order if required and has set his sights on making a maiden Test century in the upcoming series.”I would love to achieve that feat. It is nice to think it has been four years since I made my debut. I have good memories against India but, like I said before I played against Pakistan, it is about reinforcing the enjoyment factor and the incredible opportunity it is to play Test cricket. For those two games I was not sure how it would go but I approached them in a great manner and it is important for me to do that going into this series.”I am a Test-match opener if you remember in Abu Dhabi. If it requires you are not in the XI it is how it works out. It is about putting the best team on the park to win games of cricket and I am happier to bat higher up if that is what the side needs from me. I am still very fresh back into it and loving being back involved.”Jos Buttler was speaking at the launch of ‘The Test Experts’ Specsavers as Official Test Partner for England ahead of the 1000th Test which begins at Edgbaston on August 1

Among the skills Dale Benkenstein is trying to teach his charges is to pick spinners out of the hand

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Jul-2018

South Africa’s batsmen had a rough time in the Tests, but when it comes to ODIs, there are few places better to be right now than Sri Lanka. That is what batting coach Dale Benkenstein is hoping anyway, and his thinking is this: with several top teams fielding wristspinners in their ODI attacks right now, South Africa’s batsmen need to be primed against high-quality spin ahead of next year’s World Cup. With the hosts likely to stack their attack with spin options, and with tracks on the island likely to take some turn, this is as good a place as any, for South Africa to hone their skills ahead of the World Cup.”It’s huge value for us to be here – we’re not in the subcontinent again for a while,” Benkenstein said. “Even though we’ve had a poor Test series, there’s been a lot of work done on spin for a lot of batters. There’s been a lot of learning going on. We’re seeing this as a great opportunity to just get better. Not only the guys who are playing, but some of the young guys who are with us now. We tell them to use these conditions. Use the nets. Ask people around you. Try and get as much out of it as you can, other than just in the matches that are going on.”Among the skills Benkenstein is trying to teach his charges is to pick spinners out of the hand. South Africa had struggled substantially against wristspin in their 5-1 home series defeat against India earlier in the year, when Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav took 33 wickets between them. Sri Lanka’s ODI spinners have been nowhere near as prolific as India’s wristpsinners, but they do pose unorthodox challenges as well. Akila Dananjaya is ostensibly an offspinner, but also delivers an accurate legbreak and a good googly. South Africa may also have to contend with left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan through the course of the series.”Picking the bowlers is massive,” Benkenstein said. “It’s something that’s fairly hard to coach. You’ve got to have a lot of experience. Now we are lucky – we’ve got some technology that you can go and watch bowlers, and try and pick up anything that can help you out. But ultimately, the guys have got to go out there and work it out for themselves.”One of the big things is trying to take out one form of dismissal. If you’re not sure which way the ball’s going, it’s always better to be covering your own stumps until you start to find that you’re picking him. Often with wristspinners, once you get one wicket, they get two or three. It’s just trying to prevent that. The senior guys have got no problem – they’ve been there before. It’s really for the younger guys who are trying to understand that you can’t actually face a ball that’s spinning both ways until you can actually read it. It’s really those first 10 balls – to make sure they’ve got a gameplan to cover one way. With spinners, if you face them longer, you start to pick up the changes the bowler has.”South Africa’s first spin challenge of the series is likely to be posed by Dananjaya, who took seven wickets in the SSC Test. Although he is unorthodox, South Africa’s top order can be confident of picking him, said Benkenstein. But just picking him doesn’t mean they will automatically play him well.”One of the impressive things is that Dananjaya is very consistent. Even though he bowls three different styles, he does tend to land the ball in the right place. He’s not a massive spinner of the ball. But I think it’s just his consistency that you have to be aware of. So I think it’s just [about] getting yourself in. Once you’ve got in, then I think it’s a lot easier. It’s just really [about] being calm and not panicking when you’re finding it a bit tough. That’s probably the key to our success.”

Leeds United could be set to lose one of their senior players next summer alongside Sam Greenwood, who has been linked with leaving the club for good at the end of his loan spell.

Leeds departures 2023

At Elland Road, Daniel Farke and the 49ers sanctioned the permanent exits of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts, Adam Forshaw and Joel Robles over the summer, but there were also ten other players to depart on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Whites gave the green light for Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Cody Drameh, Sonny Perkins and Greenwood to hit the road, and the latter has recently been the subject of an interesting claim.

According to The Athletic, Middlesbrough have an option to buy the attacking midfielder turned forward for just £1.5m next summer so there’s a strong possibility that he could depart should he impress during his time at the Riverside Stadium, and it seems he's not the only one who may never play for Leeds again.

In the Bundesliga, Maximilian Wober put pen to paper on a season-long loan at Borussia Monchengladbach and it’s fair to say that the centre-back has made a fantastic start to life in Germany, having established himself as Gerardo Seoane’s overall best-performing player with a match rating of 7.12 (WhoScored – Borussia Monchengladbach squad statistics).

Maximilian Wober transfer update…

Speaking to German outlet BILD (via Football League World) with a transfer update on Maximilian Wober, Borussia Monchengladbach’s sporting director Nils Schmadtke delivered his verdict on the defender’s performances so far:

“A warrior. That’s why we signed him. Max is a guy who radiates something. Max enjoys defending and fighting duels. That’s exactly what we need. He is a leader, a leader".

Further asked about the possibility of signing him permanently next summer, he added: “Everything in it's own time.”

How much did Leeds pay for Maximilian Wober?

According to Sky Sports, Leeds paid a reported £11m for Wober when he joined from RB Salzburg in January, and he was already showing positive signs of what he’s capable of before he left, but he’s arguably made an even better start to life at Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Austria international currently ranks in the 98th percentile for blocks by players in his position (FBRef – Wober statistics), and he's made 15 tackles so far this season which is more than any of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Borussia Monchengladbach squad statistics), highlighting that he’s not afraid to put his body on the line and get stuck into challenges.

The Yorkshire outfit’s 25-year-old has also provided two assists in seven league appearances this term, so he’s even been making an impact at the opposite end of the pitch, with the influence that he has on a side having previously seen him described as a “leader” by former boss Jesse Marsch.

Furthermore, Wober has the versatility to operate at left-back and higher up on both the left side and in defensive midfield alongside his usual role at the heart of the backline, so the club should do everything they can to retain his services beyond next summer if possible.

West Ham United and technical director Tim Steidten may "consider cashing in" on an "important player" this winter, according to reports.

West Ham contract news

The east Londoners have sealed a few crucial new contracts in the last fortnight, with the most crucial of them being fresh terms for star winger Jarrod Bowen. The England international is David Moyes' top scorer so far this season and has picked up where he left off, coming after he scored their historic Europa Conference League-winning goal at the back end of last term. Bowen signed a new contract till 2030 recently, pledging his future to West Ham.

The former Hull City star, speaking to West Ham's official website after putting pen to paper, revealed his delight over signing his new long-term deal.

“I’m so pleased to have signed a new long-term contract at West Ham,” he said.

“Everyone knows what this Club means to me, so committing my future until 2030 means so much to me and my family. I’ve loved every minute of my time here. Winning the Europa Conference League in Prague was an amazing moment, scoring the winner in the last minute will be something I’ll cherish forever.

“It’s left us all wanting that feeling again and again – we want to create more memories together, for our fantastic fans, and for this fantastic Football Club.”

Meanwhile, West Ham also tied down highly-rated young teenager Dan Rigge with a new deal too, with the likes of Vladimir Coufal, Pablo Fornals and Tomas Soucek linked with new deals recently as well.

Tomas Soucek contract update

However, as per a recent reported West Ham development, the latter player's talks over fresh terms have stalled somewhat over the last year. As a result, journalist Pete O'Rourke has wrote for Football Insider that West Ham and Steidten may "consider cashing in" on Moyes' "important player". Sharing a Soucek contract update, he's noted that the Irons will look to reignite talks and are keen to keep him, but if a solution cannot be find, they may look to offload in January.

"West Ham are keen to iron out a deal and now Jarrod Bowen has pledged his long-term future, they will look to reignite talks with Soucek," wrote O'Rourke.

"They will step up their efforts imminently as he is still an important player for David Moyes. The Irons will have a decision on Soucek’s future if no progress can be made by January. If offers for the midfielder arrive, they could consider cashing in rather than losing him for free."

Soucek's current deal expires at the end of this season, and losing him would be an arguable blow considering his resurgence lately. The Czech Republic international most recently notched a goal in West Ham's 2-2 draw against Newcastle, prompting praise from Moyes.

"I’m pleased for Tomáš as he is making a good contribution with his goals, as did Mo today who got his first one for us, which was great," said Moyes.

"We have played Tomáš a bit higher in the last couple of games to try and get him near the box. Today was tough because we couldn’t get enough crosses or balls near the edge of their box, but he made it and he got the goal."

Manchester United star Ella Toone has revealed one key reason why "people love the women's game", with more and more fans becoming "hooked".

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Toone reveals why women's football is gaining popularityLionesses captured public imagination with Euro triumph Followed it up with another fine performance at World CupWHAT HAPPENED?

Toone is one of the most popular faces in English football who captured the hearts of the nation with the Lionesses' historic triumph in the European Championships in 2022. She was also an instrumental part of the squad that reached the World Cup final before bowing out to Spain in the title decider.

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Apart from the on-field success, Toone believes that, unlike their male counterparts, female players exhibit remarkable resilience by swiftly bouncing back from fouls without much fuss which is a major attraction for fans. This attitude resonates with supporters and contributes to the growing popularity of women's football.

WHAT TOONE SAID

In an interview with the No Passion, No Point podcast, Toone said: "I know a lot of fans or family friends or whoever have started watching the women’s game say, ‘I just love it so much more, you get fouled and you get straight back up.' And I think: ‘yeah, that’s what it’s about, just get on with the game.' If you get fouled, you get up, pull your socks up and you go again.

"I think that’s just why people love the women’s game, and yeah, they might not have ever wanted to watch it, they’ve watched one game, and now they’re hooked and they’re fans. For me, definitely, when I put that shirt on, I give 100%.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Toone feels immense pride and passion donning the England shirt and also spoke about her childhood dreams associated with representing the national team.

“Whenever you put the England shirt on it’s so much pride, it’s something that you’ve dreamed of ever since you’ve been a little girl.," she said.

"And I know that for everyone who wears that England shirt, it’s just immense pride and passion when you step out onto the pitch."

Ryan Giggs has been discreetly working as the director of football at Salford City since the beginning of the current season, per a new report.

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• Giggs quit his Wales' job in June 2022
• Man Utd legend is a co-owner of Salford
• Intends to get back to management once again

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite no prior formal announcement from the club, Giggs, 50, was referenced as their director of football in a recent statement issued by Salford City, while confirming the appointment of Alex Bruce as an assistant coach. The club has now confirmed that the Manchester United legend has been working in the capacity since the start of the campaign.

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  Giggs' return to the football scene comes after a hiatus following his acquittal of charges related to an alleged assault on his former partner last year. The football icon vehemently denied all accusations, and his resumption of duties at Salford City signals a new chapter in his career.

  Giggs is a co-owner of Salford City alongside former Manchester United teammates Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, and David Beckham. While Butt serves as the League Two side’s chief executive, the others, except for Scholes, hold directorial positions as per the club's filings.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Giggs' journey in football administration traces back to his tenure at Manchester United. Initially appointed as a player-coach under David Moyes in 2013, Giggs assumed interim managerial duties at the close of the season following Moyes’ departure. He later transitioned to an assistant role under Louis van Gaal before parting ways with the club upon Jose Mourinho's arrival in 2016.

  His managerial acumen extended beyond club football, as Giggs led the Welsh national team from January 2018 until June 2022, although assistant manager Rob Page was appointed as interim head coach after Giggs was arrested in November 2020.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  On the pitch, Salford City currently finds themselves positioned 20th in League Two, with Karl Robinson assuming the role of head coach in January after the dismissal of Neil Wood. The team stands eight points above the relegation zone, with Colchester United occupying the 22nd position, signalling a challenging yet critical phase for Salford City as they navigate through the remainder of the season. They will return to action against Stockport on Thursday evening in a league encounter.

Liverpool have been dealt a potential major exit blow, with one "exceptional" Anfield talent linked with a surprising exit to join a rival European giant.

Latest Liverpool transfer news

The Reds have bounced back after a really poor 2022/23 season, starting the current campaign in promising form, even though the defeat away to Tottenham and draw at Brighton were far from ideal.

The signings of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch have added much-needed life to Liverpool's midfield, proving to be upgrades on declining figures such as Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but the business cannot afford to end there for the foreseeable future.

What is clear is that further signings will be needed at Anfield moving forward, as Jurgen Klopp looks to continue growing his 2.0 era as Anfield, with additions required in various areas of the pitch, as other key players begin to age, from Virgil van Dijk to Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool have been linked with moves for the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Pedro Neto recently, both of whom could be exciting signings, but a concerning exit rumour is also now doing the rounds, with one highly-rated figure backed to leave the club.

Stefan Bajcetic transfer update…

According to a transfer udate on Stefan Bajcetic, the young star is wanted by La Liga giants Sevilla in 2024, who have made themselves known as the greatest Europa League team of recent times, winning the competition seven times since the turn of the century, including last season.

They have the funds to be able to afford the 18-year-old, who has come to the fore at Liverpool in the past 12 months or so, making the leap from youth team hopeful to important first team squad player.

Losing Bajcetic at this point in his career would be an enormous blow for the Reds, with the Spaniard being hailed as "exceptional" by Klopp, who has also described him as an "absolute joy". At just 18 years of age, he is already wise beyond his years, performing with such maturity at the heart of the midfield and making 11 appearances in the Premier League last season, six of which were starts.

Had it not been for injuries recently, there is every chance that Bajcetic would have played a more prominent role in the 2023/24 campaign to date, too, and with Mac Allister finding it tough in a rare No.6 role, he could even come in for him as the weeks pass, allowing the Argentine to move further up the pitch and into his preferred No.8 position.

The teenager isn't out of contract at Liverpool until the summer of 2027, which does at least mean they are in a position where they can demand big money for his signature, but they surely won't even want to entertain the idea of letting him go.

The only issue that could arise is if Bajcetic himself wants to leave, in order to be guaranteed more regular minutes, but that would be a surprise at this point, considering how much he is valued by the Reds.

As a footballing institution, Everton are widely recognised for unearthing talented prospects from their youth team and facilitating their development to becoming stars.

The latest of those to rise to first-team stardom was Anthony Gordon. He was a rare beam of shining light during a dark period for the club, thrilling supporters with his frenetic performances and ultimately earning the academy graduate a £45m move to Newcastle United in January.

Since his departure, the Toffees have missed his ability to conjure up a piece of individual quality, with none of their current players stepping up to the plate in the final third, including summer signing Beto.

Summarizing Beto's performance this season

Arriving from Italian giants Udinese for a fee in the region of £25.75m, Beto was expected to take on the mantle of goalscoring and become the dominant focal point that the Merseyside club desired.

A prototypical Sean Dyche striker, who is physically strong and aerially dominant, but also comfortable with the ball at his feet and can make rapid surges towards goal, were qualities that the 6 foot 4 powerhouse demonstrated in the Serie A.

Bullying defenders with his frightening build and supplying the precise finishing to match, Beto recorded two double-figure scoring campaigns at Udinese, with 13 in the 2021/22 season and ten in the following campaign.

Those goalscoring exploits, in particular, offered supporters hope that he could become a revelation at Goodison Park, much like Romelu Lukaku did all them years ago.

Unfortunately, the towering marksman has failed to hit the ground running so far and while he's "caused a lot of problems", as claimed by former Everton defender Michael Bell in their victory over Brentford, he only has one goal to show for it in the Carabao Cup win over Doncaster Rovers.

It is painfully clear that Everton are in dire need of an added dimension up front, perhaps a burst of pace and skill to outfox opponents, and teenage prospect Francis Okoronkwo could be the man for the job.

A closer look at Everton's academy star, Francis Okoronkwo

Okoronkwo has been at Everton since joining from Sunderland in a deal believed to be worth £1m in 2021 and became the latest exciting talent to leave the North East outfit for a Premier League club, joining the likes of striker Joe Hugill and Logan Pye, who both departed for Manchester United.

Boasting lightning speed and movement, he revealed on Everton's official website that his current favourite player at Everton was Dominic Calvert-Lewin and if he continues impressing in the youth set-up, he could soon get his chance to replace him.

Since arriving at the club two years ago, the 19-year-old has progressed from the under-18's, where he scored nine goals and supplied three assists in 16 appearances, to now terrorising opposition defences in Premier League 2 with two goals and one assist in six appearances this term.

Everton's official website also dubbed him as 'skilful' and he's certainly proven that this campaign, combining his fleet-footed dribbling and precise finishing to devastating effect.

Whilst the "highly-rated" talent – as hailed by journalist Bolarinwa Olajide – continues to tear apart the opposition in Premier League 2, Everton's desire to include him in the senior squad will grow stronger, with the Englishman demonstrating his ability to slalom past defenders and inject boundless amounts of speed in the final third.

With a keen eye for goal too, which journalist Patrick Boyland once lauded his propensity for a "composed finish", the teenager has already outlined his desire to break into the first-team set-up suggesting his preparedness for the step up.

He claimed back in January: “My ambition now is to be that focal point for the Under-21s, be the No.9 that all the players can rely on.

“I want to play more minutes, score more, keep adding assists and hopefully towards the end of the season, have a few sessions with the First Team to get a taste for what that’s like in the coming years. You can see there’s a pathway to the senior squad.”

With a goal record not to be snuffed at and the capacity to provide some much-needed flair, the teenage sensation could offer something completely different to the immobile Beto and the misfiring Calvert-Lewin, with the pair only scoring a combined four goals in 15 matches between them.

The stats behind why Everton need added flair in the final third

In January 2020, Gordon made his debut for the Merserysiders as a second-half substitute against West Ham United, describing it as the "best day" of his life.

The Englishman provided supporters with a sprinkle of his flair and dynamism, which is something that Okoronkwo could supply his side if given a chance and it is those qualities that the Toffees are crying out for, especially in their position of peril at the bottom of the Premier League table.

With three points separating them from 18th-place Burnley, it is clear that Dyche's current strategy isn't getting the best out of the talent he has at his disposal and this is evidenced by their fortunes in front of goal.

Although Everton are creating a larger volume of opportunities, ranking in seventh for xG accumulated (17.66), as per Understat, the Toffees have only scored nine goals and have underperformed their xG by 8.66.

Statistically, Dyche's team are the worst in the division at taking their chances, accumulating a staggering 3.65 xG in their 2-1 defeat against Luton Town and 2.74 in their draw against Sheffield United.

Whilst their fortunes on the field paint a bleak picture, they haven't had a great deal to shout about off it with a potential point deduction only heightening their worries after supposedly breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

A dark cloud hangs over Goodison Park until a resolution is found for breaching FFP and the 777 Partners takeover is concluded, but until then, the Toffees could find their rare beam of shining light in the shape of Okoronkwo.