Everton signed Portuguese goalkeeper Joao Virginia on a three-year deal from Premier League rivals Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
Everton are a point clear of Brighton and Hove Albion at the top of the Premier League 2 table right now and much of that is down to the form of goalkeeper Joao Virginia.
The arrival of the Portuguese U19 shot-stopper on a three-year deal in August went under the radar at Goodison Park thanks largely to the big-money signings of Richarlison, Yerry Mina and co.
But Virginia has quietly set about establishing himself as one of the top goalkeeping prospects in English football since swapping North London for the North West with Everton’s U23 side conceding just eight goals in 15 games this season.
And, speaking to the Liverpool Echo, reserve manager David Unsworth has singled out Virginia for praise while also paying tribute to a number of his in-form team-mates.
“Every successful team is built on a sound defence,” Unsworth said. “We’ve had Joao playing in goal, who has been a revelation for us.
“Morgan Feeney and Tyias Browning have been fantastic. Lewis Gibson’s come back from injury, and we’ve had young Ryan Astley come in and perform very well.
“We’ve been strong in that area and we’ve defended excellently for the majority of the season.”
Everton have a fine record at youth level, having won the Premier League 2 title in the 2016/17 season with the likes of Jonjoe Kenny, Tom Davies and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who have since been promoted to the senior squad, at the heart of their success.
And, with Jordan Pickford making headlines for the wrong reasons in recent months, it remains to be seen whether Marco Silva will give a chance to his young compatriot Virginia this season.
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