Beni Baningime has returned to Everton’s first-team ahead of their Merseyside Derby with Liverpool on June 21. Cuco Martina was recently pictured training at USM Finch Farm and Baningime has been too.
The 21-year-old spent the season with the U23s after falling down the pecking order, but he may have an opportunity to get back into the senior squad after injuries to Morgan Schneiderlin and Jean-Philippe Gbamin.
Baningime rose through the youth ranks to the Everton first-team in 2017/18 and has gone on to make 12 appearances in all competitions.
The DR Congo midfielder struggled for playing time last season and joined Wigan Athletic on loan. Baningime’s stint at the DW Stadium didn’t go to plan, however, so he ended up returning to Everton early.
David Unsworth has worked hard on getting the 21-year-old back to the level he was at before his failed Wigan move, but there’s stiff competition for places in the first-team – Schneiderlin, Gbamin, Andre Gomes, Fabian Delph, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Tom Davies.
Baningime has been a regular in Everton’s reserves this season and frequently stands out for the calibre of his performances, so he can’t afford to let any opportunity at senior level pass him by.