Kevin Thelwell reckons Stanley Mills is pushing to be part of Everton’s first team after impressing Frank Lampard this summer after the 18-year-old signed a new three-year contract at the club. Director of football Thelwell said: “This new contract is reward for Stanley’s encouraging progress at Everton. He took his chance to impress Frank and his staff during the summer and we are looking forward to him continuing to develop and keep pushing to be involved with the first team this season.”
Mills featured in all four of Everton’s pre-season fixtures and after penning his new deal that commits him to the Blues until 2025, he told evertontv : “I’m delighted to continue my journey here. It’s been a really positive summer for me and I just want to keep working hard and progressing.
“I wasn’t expecting to go to America so when I was picked to go, I was buzzing! It was a really good experience with the lads. They’ve been great and made me feel really comfortable in the first-team environment. I’m happy with what I did while I was there. I worked hard and am now just looking to push on again.”
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He added: “It was a dream come true to walk out at Goodison Park with the first team [for the friendly against Kyiv]. I wanted to do that since I was a little kid and the experience was great. All the fans were amazing.
“I want to keep pushing, keep moving forward. I haven’t got a specific goal in mind; I just want to keep training with the first team and see where it goes.
“I hope I can get on the pitch for a competitive game soon but I’m happy right now just to be in and around the environment.”
Mills is a primarily a midfielder but has been featuring as a right-back – the position where his father Danny Mills played in his own career – during his recent senior appearances. The teenager reckons that having a former Premier League footballer in the family is a big help though as he turns out for his own boyhood idol, Lampard.
He said: “The manager’s words have been really encouraging but I just want to stay focused and keep getting better. My dad keeps me very grounded. He deals with the other side of things and allows me to just focus on the football which I’m going to continue to do.”
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