Everton U21 star Francis Okoronkwo has revealed his ambitions to establish himself as a key figure in Paut Tait’s side, with the youngster setting his sights on breaking into the senior squad.
The 18-year-old prospect has found the net twice in his last 4 outings for the U21’s, and has become an increasingly prominent figure within the squad since his summer 2021 switch from Sunderland.
Indeed, the forward can look to the likes of Tom Cannon, Stanley Mills and Isaac Price who have all progressed well under Tait and graduated to the senior squad in recent months, and the youngster is hungry to follow in their footsteps.
Okoronkwo said “I want to play more minutes, score more, keep adding assists and hopefully towards the end of the season, have a few sessions with the First Team to get a taste for what that’s like in the coming years.
“You can see there’s a pathway to the senior squad. If you look at the lads who’ve been in and around it this season, they have all been really consistent and worked hard to do all they can to be professional footballers and play in the First Team.
“To me, that shows when you put that work in, you will get your rewards, you just need to stay consistent with it and keep chipping away.”
Okoronkwo is a versatile talent who can operate as a number 9, or an attacker playing behind a loner striker and is likely to see his hopes of featuring more frequently at U21 level fulfilled thanks to the recent loan deal for Tom Cannon at Preston North End.
It is an opportunity for the young forward to step up in the absence of his former teammate, and should the Blyth-born speed merchant continue to impress in Paul Tait’s side, he could be the next graduate into Everton’s senior squad.