Everton: Sean Dyche could bring Halid Djankpata into Goodison first team after what he’s done

Sean Dyche may soon be tempted to involve Halid Djankpata in the first-team setup following his performances for the Everton youth sides.

Halid Djankpata

The 18-year-old scored for the Toffees’ U-21s on Friday (9 February) to bring his side level against Aston Villa in Premier League 2 before they eventually fell to a 2-1 defeat.The Togo-born player is hugely versatile as he can operate in a number of attacking positions as well as in central midfield.Djankpata started the game against Villa in the middle of the park, with his strike showing he is more than capable of getting involved with the attacks and getting on the scoresheet.He’s been with the Blues for four years after joining the academy when he was just 14 before progressing through the ranks.

The midfielder made eight league appearances for Leighton Baines’ U-18s last season, while he also captained the team on several occasions.His form led to him linking up with the U-21s squad, where he finished the campaign with 11 outings to his name in Premier League 2 after making the step-up.That prompted Everton to hand him his first professional contract with the club last summer, with his deal at Goodison Park running until June 2025.After signing his new deal, Djankpata expressed his delight at signing a contract and spoke highly about his time with the Toffees so far.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “My whole time here, I have grown up as a person. My emotions have matured and I’m just so excited to keep pushing forward. Last season was a positive one because it’s very good to captain your team and we won games.“Working with Leighton Baines is very enjoyable and easy because he can relate to you a lot as he just finished his career not too long ago. Paul Tait is an amazing coach as well. He tells you a lot. You can take it all in because of the way he speaks to you.The midfielder has kicked on again this season after nailing down a regular spot in the U-21s side despite still only being 18 years of age.

He’s made 14 appearances for the U-21s during this campaign, with the seven yellow cards he’s picked showing he’s not afraid to put himself about and enjoys a tackle.There’s a good chance he will be more involved with the first-team setup before too long as Dyche likes to involve younger players in training and has included some of the academy stars on the bench this season.It’s important that a pathway is created for those kinds of players to make it into the first team in the future and Djankpata could be one to make the grade if he continues to impress.

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