It's been some fortnight for Tom Cannon.
The teenager made his senior debut for Everton in the Carabao Cup defeat at Bournemouth - a major personal milestone and source of huge pride, a moment he savoured even though the defeat hurt that night. Five days later he was living through the same internal conflict as Frank Lampard handed him his Premier League debut in the same stadium, though once again it came on a difficult day for the team.
The landmarks in the young starlet's career have kept coming even as the season technically broke for the World Cup. He was selected for the club trip to Australia, played against Scottish giants Celtic and then came on against Western Sydney Wanderers and did precisely what he does best - score goals.
In an Everton side that has struggled for them this season, Cannon thinks he can help. After the game, still delighted with his goal, he said he believes: "I'm ready for this level."
Everton comfortably saw off Wanderers at the CommBank Stadium, the club's ground on the banks of the Parramatta River in western Sydney. But as they began to cruise the side's performance was reinvigorated midway through the second half with the introduction of Tom Cannon and Stanley Mills.
It feels like the pair do everything together at the moment and this warm night Down Under was no different. They entered the pitch at the same time and they were soon celebrating at the same time.
Mills had broken into the box from the left but could only look on as Daniel Margush did enough to keep his shot out. Yet Margush was not yet done and after he misjudged Mills' effort the ball dropped kindly for Cannon, who pounced. Lampard later said of the 19-year-old: "He is a goalscorer, which is a nice breed that is fairly rare, and he naturally gets in areas and he is quick and he's hungry."
After the game, Cannon was still bubbling with excitement as he prepared to leave the ground, telling the ECHO: “It feels unreal. It hasn't quite settled in yet. It's a moment I'm very pleased with, just delighted.”
There were chances for more goals and of firing over when hitting a pull back first time from 15 yards, Cannon said: “It bobbled, we'll say it bobbled. I should have just taken a touch and hit it but I was just waiting for the next one after that.”
Cannon made the next one for himself, shifting his body to win half a yard on his marker and aiming for the far corner from the edge of the box. It forced a good save from Margush.
His goal was his latest step forward and he has enjoyed being with the Everton first team in Australia. Asked how playing Scottish giants Celtic was compared to Under-21s, he said: “It was a big step up but the lads have helped me settle in to be fair. I feel comfortable now in the environment, I feel I'm training well and playing well so hopefully I just need to keep impressing the manager and see where things go.”
After his goal on Tuesday he took to social media to say: “Nice way to end the tour in Australia with my first senior goal.”
It was a big difference from a fortnight earlier when he made his senior debut on the south coast - this time he could share his excitement with the dressing room.
Recalling his mixed emotions after the 4-1 loss to Bournemouth, he said: “It was a tough result for the team but for me, personally, it was nice to get on and make my senior debut, it's a moment I've been working hard towards - me and my family - so for them to see me going on the pitch was nice.”
In that match he got nine minutes. Days later he got 16 as Lampard introduced him to Premier League football, of which he said: “It was another tough result but for me personally and my development, making your Premier League debut is the stuff of dreams. It's what you go into football for, to get chances like that. I came on and I thought I did alright to be fair. I need to wait for my opportunity for the next one.”
Cannon was immediately involved in his second run out at the Vitality Stadium, his header from an Anthony Gordon cross only Everton’s second shot on target in what would end as a 3-0 defeat. He believes he can have an impact on the big stage and is determined to do everything within his power to keep impressing Lampard.
His form with the Under-21s suggests he is ready for a bigger challenge. Cannon often looks like a man playing against boys and bullied the Manchester United defence in a draw he scored twice in earlier this year, one of several impressive performances. He said: “I back myself. When I'm in front of goal I back myself to score every time so I just need to keep going.
"I feel I can help the team, hopefully I can just keep impressing the manager and see where things go.”
That might mean putting in another important display for the Under-21s next week as they host Mansfield Town in the EFL Trophy. With the game being played at Goodison it will be another huge moment for Cannon, should he be involved. If he is then his fortnight of dreams could well extend into another week.
From Bournemouth to Sydney to the Grand Old Lady, new chapters are quickly being added to his story. How does he feel about it all? “It's been a surreal couple of weeks,” he said. “But I have got good people around me to keep me grounded. I just need to stay focused now and keep my head down.”
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