Joe Williams hadn’t played a senior game before moving to Barnsley on loan from Everton in the summer.
If David Unsworth is promoted from caretaker to Everton’s full-time first-team coach, the one guarantee Toffees fans can rely on is that the many more of the club’s 2016/17 Premier League 2 winning side will get their chance.
Tom Davies, Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin got their opportunities in the first-team last season while, since Unsworth took over from the sacked Ronald Koeman, Jonjoe Kenny and the hugely talented midfielder Beni Baningime (below) have gone from reserves to regular starters.
And, four years after he first appeared on Everton’s bench in a Europa League clash with Krasnodar, 20-year-old Joe Williams may be the next highly-rated youngster to make the step up.
Like Kieren Dowell, who has made real strides on loan at Nottingham Forest this season, Williams has made an impression in the Championship. Plying his trade at Barnsley, the 20-year-old has started 16 of the club’s league games this season and has done a good job protecting the back four.
Fielded in a defensive midfield role, Williams has impressed greatly with his maturity and his ability to win back possession and distribute effectively. Averaging 2.9 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game, it seems only a matter of time before an opportunity in Everton’s senior squad beckons.
The presence of Idrissa Gueye and Schneiderlin, not to mention Davies and Baningime, means Williams faces plenty of competition. But he is acing his audition in the Championship and Everton fans should expect to see him given his chance at last in 2018.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
