The Toffees academy graduate has barely made an impact in the Goodison Park club’s first team and has struggled on loan at Derby County thus far.
Everton academy graduate Kieran Dowell may have been impressive for the Toffees at youth and reserve level, but at competitive senior level he continues to blow hot and cold, which makes you wonder whether Marco Silva sees a future for him in the Blues’ first team.
Dowell has been involved with Everton’s first team since 2014, but to date he has only made five senior appearances for the club – and the last one in the Premier League was back in April 2016, a three-minute cameo against Bournemouth (Transfermarkt).
The 21-year-old, valued at £2.7million by Transfermarkt and on £15,000-per-week according to Spotrac, had a mixed loan stint at Nottingham Forest in 2017-18, impressing early on but becoming more anonymous as the season went on – here’s what some Forest fans said about his time at the City Ground in hindsight:
Dowell then went to Sheffield United on loan and helped the Blades get promoted to the Premier League, with reaction from the Bramall Lane somewhat more positive but still mixed:
Now at Derby County, he has come under criticism on a number of occasions from both fans – as per this reaction piece – and Rams boss Phillip Cocu, who made it clear that “he can do better and he has to do better… we can expect more from him” (Derby Telegraph).
With Dowell turning 22 next month and having barely made an impact on Everton’s first team thus far, while his loan stints in the Championship have been met with mixed reviews, of which the latest ones at his current club are mostly negative, it’s likely to be major food for thought for Silva regarding whether he can cut it in the Everton first team going forward.
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