'Suddenly he was an athlete' - Everton coach describes…

'Suddenly he was an athlete' - Everton coach describes emergence of Anthony Gordon

Anthony Gordon was a late developer who 'suddenly turned into an athlete' before bursting into Everton's first team.

That is the view of Under-21s boss Paul Tait, who described Gordon's progression as "phenomenal". The Kirkdale-born star enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last year in which he was key to the club's fight against relegation.

Highlights included his selection - and subsequent goalscoring form - for the England U21s and the strike that secured a crucial three points against Manchester United at Goodison Park. Tait, speaking as he offered insight into his new academy role, hailed Gordon as an inspiration as he challenged the club's next generation to follow in his footsteps.

Tait was handed the U21s head coach role this summer as part of an overhaul of the operation at Finch Farm. Leighton Baines was promoted to Tait's previous role – that of leading the U18s – and Gareth Prosser was appointed the academy's new director. Further changes are expected as part of director of football Kevin Thelwell's efforts to improve the pathway from the youth setup to the first team squad.

That is a journey several starlets have undertaken this summer, with Lewis Warrington, Stanley Mills and Reece Welch impressing in first-team action during pre-season. Another young star, Isaac Price, was given his first Premier League minutes in the final game of the last campaign.

They are hoping to break into Frank Lampard's first team plans and become as integral to the side as Gordon, whose standout season led to him being given the number 10 shirt. The honour completed a remarkable 12 months for Gordon, a journey Tait has enjoyed being witness to.

He told evertontv : "If you want to be a professional footballer, there are peaks and troughs. Anthony didn’t have everything his own way here. He’s had to show real resilience at times. He had some problems – he was a late developer, so we had to wait for him to develop physically – and then suddenly he turned into this athlete. Before that, he used to struggle to finish games physically and mentally, too. That development process he’s been through, it’s something everyone can learn from."

Tait hailed Gordon as a "real inspiration" to the prospects now on the verge of a first-team breakthrough, and those also fighting to progress within the academy setup. Their hopes of progression have also been boosted by Lampard's willingness to give youth an opportunity during his managerial career to date.

He said: "In terms of Anthony, where he is now, it’s phenomenal. It gives us all a massive lift and it gives the boys, in particular, that vision. They can see there is that pathway into the first team. Frank Lampard, in the short time he’s been managing, has already got a reputation for bringing young players through. These boys know that and that will mean a lot to them."

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