Fraser Hornby has perhaps done more than any other Everton player to improve his first-team prospects during the international break.
Heading into the international break, it seems unlikely that Marco Silva will have had any thoughts around introducing Fraser Hornby into Everton’s first-team at any stage in the near future.
The 18-year-old is yet to score in four Premier League 2 appearances this year, and while he is an extremely bright talent, that is not exactly the kind of form that will have made Silva sit up and take notice.
But after the international break, perhaps it may be fair to suggest that Hornby has done more than any other Everton player to improve his first-team prospects since the 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town.
Hornby was called up to Scotland’s under-21 squad for their fixtures against Andorra and The Netherlands, and he made a devastating impact across the two games.
A hat-trick against the former was followed by an incredible lob in the game against the Dutch. Hornby capitalised on the goalkeeper’s poor clearance while well out of his goal, and lifted the ball deliciously into the empty net. He added his fifth of the break from the penalty spot.
The first was a fantastic finish, and the five-goal return from the break should perhaps bring Hornby onto Silva’s radar, especially after Dominic Calvert-Lewin had to be substituted eight minutes after coming on in England’s under-21 clash with Latvia.
And with Theo Walcott a doubt for the game against West Ham this weekend – as reported by The Telegraph – perhaps Hornby should be given the chance to make the bench against the Hammers after a remarkable international break from the teenager.
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