The Toffees goalkeeper is highly rated at Goodison Park and helped David Unsworth’s side to the reserve double last term.
A number of Everton fans have taken to Twitter after the Premier League club announced that highly rated academy goalkeeper Joao Virginia has moved to Reading on a season-long loan (official Toffees website).
The 19-year-old arrived at Goodison Park from fellow top-flight side Arsenal in the summer of 2018 and helped the Toffees’ Under-23s side win the double – the Premier League 2 title and the Premier League Cup – in his debut season at the club.
Prior to joining Everton, Virginia – who began his career with Benfica – helped Portugal to victory in the 2018 European Under-19 Championship, and was also in his nation’s squad for the 2016 Olympics football tournament in Rio de Janeiro.
Reading, who are managed by Virginia’s compatriot Jose Manuel Gomes, will be looking to improve upon a 20th place finish last season in the Championship and are preparing for a seventh successive campaign in the English second tier.
Here is what some Everton fans on the social media platform made of the Portuguese youngster’s season-long switch to the Madejski Stadium:
The Royals get their Championship campaign under way against Sheffield Wednesday at the Madejski on Saturday 3 August.
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