Despite him not having a Premier League appearance under his belt yet, there's understandably a fair amount of excitement surrounding the news of Lewis Warrington signing a new contract with the club.
The midfielder spent the first half of the current campaign catching the eye of many supporters as he excelled in the under-23s. It was something of a tough time in general for the side as they managed with a lot of players departing, replacing those out-goings in the squad with various graduates from the under-18s.
It's a natural part of the academy life, of course, but it does mean that it will take time for those stepping up to adapt to their new surroundings. Warrington was one of those, although he had made four appearances at that level in the 2020/21 term this was his first regular step up.
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And he excelled in a defensive midfield role for the majority of that time. David Unsworth eventually settled on a back five, employing three in the centre of the pitch and often using Lewis Dobbin and Tom Cannon as a striking pair.
One of the main reasons that system worked and was allowed to flourish was because of Warrington. He fashioned a role sitting in front of the defence which seemed to suit him perfectly.
His positioning and awareness on the pitch was very strong, allowing him to be everywhere whenever he needed to make tackles and interceptions. He was constantly looking for possession from his centre-backs, willing to take the ball from them and progress it up the field either with a slick dribble or accurate pass.
And that's not to take away from his attacking qualities either. He was still keen to get forward and join the attack whenever he could, getting so close to what would have been his first goal at that level against Spurs in January particularly only to see his powerful long-range effort cannon off the inside of the post.
In many respects, the senior side could have done with someone in that position during that spell. Fabian Delph eventually went on to fill that role on some occasions, but he was never regularly fit enough to cement that place in the side.
Hindsight might suggest that Everton maybe should have taken something of a risk and given the youngster a shot. However, it's not easy to blood new talent in such a dismal situation, so perhaps it was for the best that he instead moved on loan to fins his first regular senior football.
That came at Tranmere Rovers, where he was allowed to show a different side of his game. Speaking to Everton's official website after his new contract with the club was confirmed, he gave a little insight into the role he was given in League Two and how his temporary move helped him develop.
Warrington said: "I went to Tranmere as a sitting midfielder but the loan has transformed me into an all-round centre midfielder. I feel more athletic and fitter and it should help me a lot for next season.
“My next goal is to go up and train with the first team, try to impress, and give my all in every training session. I want to go in and try to impress him [Lampard]. He’s always been a role model to me, and I would like to learn from him and hopefully that will make me into an even better player.”
Of course that's good to hear for a number of reasons. Out of his 17 matches for Tranmere in recent months, he completed the 90 minutes on 14 of those occasions.
There's no doubting he was a regular fixture in the team, scoring once and picking up two assists - which is impressive considering this was his first taste of senior football. And, on top of that, he adapted well to being used in a slightly different position in the side.
That versatile nature will no doubt bode well for him, especially with there still being some questions on the system that Lampard will settle on for the future. Whether there's a three-man or two-man formation in the midfield, it seems that Warrington could have fashioned himself into being an option.
Of course he will have to catch his new manager's eye in training, but that shouldn't take long. Numerous youngsters have already had that opportunity this term and grabbed it, and there's little doubt Warrington will get that chance in pre-season.
Will that lead to a first team place? Of course it's tough to tell right now before Everton have really started their important recruitment drive in the summer.
But, given his development so far, it's not unreasonable to suggest that he could save the club millions in the future if he's managed in the right manner.
