Everton have handed a first professional contract to highly regarded midfield academy graduate Bobby Carroll.
The club announced the news through their official website on Friday afternoon.
The 17-year-old has been a key member of the Toffees’ U18s side this season, and has impressed with a number of eye-catching performances, registering 11 assists in 11 matches in league competition.
Doncaster-born Carroll has put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at Goodison Park until June 2021.
? | A first professional contract for Bobby Carroll. Congratulations, Bobby! #EFC
— Everton Academy (@EvertonAcademy) January 18, 2019
OPINION
It’s good to see Everton continuing their fine tradition of putting faith in youth, and Carroll joins the plethora of young Toffees who the club will believe can have a big future on Merseyside. With 11 assists in 11 league ache this season, the 17-year-old is clearly a special talent, and he will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Tom Davies and Ross Barkley in breaking into the midfielder of the first team in the near future. So often in youth football, the players who make a name for themselves are the ones who score all the goals, so it’s refreshing to see a selfless playmaker like Carroll get some of the plaudits for once. Players who are willing and capable of setting up their colleagues for goal after goal are worth their weight in gold, and Marco Silva will be keeping a close eye on Carroll in case he has the Premier League’s next defence splitting maestro on his hands.