Lewis Gibson is set for a test which will decide his Everton future, as the Liverpool Echo understands the teenage defender will go out on loan next season.
The 18-year-old has been in fine form for David Unsworth’s Under 23s this season, who clinched the Premier League 2 title on Monday with a 1-0 win over second-placed Brighton.
Gibson featured on the night, and put on a mostly excellent display alongside captain Morgan Freeney, but the March Player of the Month does not have a route into the senior fold, just yet.
To help speed up his development, and chances of making it at Goodison Park, it is now noted that he will go out on loan next season – likely into the Football League – in order to see if he sinks or swim by pushing him to his limits.
His baptism of fire will be very telling to whether or not the club made the right decision when they caught many people’s eye by offering Newcastle a staggering £6million for the England youth star.
Gibson, though, is clearly not fearing the task at hand, as he has told the Echo that he wants to prove himself so that he can show Marco Silva why he can be our future at the back.
“Everyone has their own pathway and, of course, I’m jealous of them,” he said. “That’s what you want to do, but I’m just waiting patiently for my chance.
“I’m hoping to push on. I’ve played U23s for coming up to two years.
“In an ideal world it would be in Everton’s first-team [next season], but if opportunities are limited it will be on loan.
“Hopefully I can push on with Everton, and the first-team, because ever since I’ve been here that’s been my dream, just to play for Everton’s first-team.”