Everton handed contracts to Dom Calvert-Lewin, Mason Holgate and Jonjoe Kenny on Thursday.
A dream move to the Premier League is a fairy tale for footballers worldwide, as England’s top division boasts the best players, the money, the glamour and some of Europe’s best teams.
David Henen would have shared that opinion as the 21-year-old attacker joined Everton in the summer of 2015, after difficult spells with Monaco, Anderlecht and Olympiacos.
However, the five-time Belgium under-19 international will have a very different view on the Premier League now as he is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Toffees despite shining in Everton’s second string.
Three goals in seven Premier League 2 matches this term has still not proven to either Ronald Koeman or Sam Allardyce that the Belgian is deserving of a first-team chance, and with his contract set to expire in June, surely that’s it for Henen.
His chances of working his way into the Everton fold will have taken another blow on Thursday, as the Merseyside club offered contracts to Mason Holgate, Jonjoe Kenny and Dom Calvert-Lewin, with the latter’s new deal likely to demoralise Henen as they share the same position.
Although Everton are in desperate need of a new striker, Henen is now unlikely to be given any kind of first-team chance on Merseyside and the only way he can save his Toffees career is by going out on loan in January.
He remains behind the likes of Oumar Niasse, Calvert-Lewin, Wayne Rooney and even youngster Fraser Hornby, who was given the chance to start against Apollon Limassol this month over Henen.
But even a successful loan spell in what is likely to be League One or a relegation-threatened side in the Championship is realistically not going to save Henen from the chop.
Henen will be one of the first names on the release list ahead of June 2018, following Calvert-Lewin’s extension, unless an injury crisis gives him the chance to prove his worth.
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