More

    Everton academy player of the season signs professional contract

    England youth international Chris Long has signed his first professional contract with Everton.

    The 18-year-old forward has agreed a two-year deal which will keep him at Goodison Park until the summer of 2015.

    A boyhood Blues supporter, Long has been with Everton since he was six years old and has graduated through the Club’s famed academy system.

    The Huyton-born youngster has represented his country at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18s level and was part of the England squad for the Under-20 World Cup that took place in Turkey this summer.

    His call up to Peter Taylor’s Young Lions group came about following a sterling 2012/13 season for Everton’s youth teams.

    Long netted regularly for Kevin Sheedy’s Under-18s team including a brace against Norwich City at Goodison Park in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final.

    He forced his way into Alan Stubbs Under-21s side later in the season and was part of their end-of-season play-off campaign which ended with a 3-2 semi-final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane – a game in which he scored a superb lobbed goal.

    Having scored at every youth level, Long says it is now his ambition to repeat this for the Club’s senior side.

    “I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of things but it has been worth it to get the chance to play for Everton Football Club, “ Long told evertontv.

    “I’ve got a lot of people to thank get for getting this far. The whole of the Everton academy have been so good to me. Hopefully I can make them proud.

    “Hopefully I can get recognised by the manager and make my debut one day – that’s all I want to do.

    “It would be the best thing ever [to play for the first team at Goodison Park]. If I could score a goal at the Gwladys Street, I would be ecstatic. It would be unbelievable.”

    Related articles

    Comments

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    Share article

    Latest articles

    Newsletter

    [tdn_block_newsletter_subscribe description="U3Vic2NyaWJlJTIwdG8lMjBzdGF5JTIwdXBkYXRlZC4=" input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_text="Subscribe" tds_newsletter2-image="753" tds_newsletter2-image_bg_color="#c3ecff" tds_newsletter3-input_bar_display="row" tds_newsletter4-image="754" tds_newsletter4-image_bg_color="#fffbcf" tds_newsletter4-btn_bg_color="#f3b700" tds_newsletter4-check_accent="#f3b700" tds_newsletter5-tdicon="tdc-font-fa tdc-font-fa-envelope-o" tds_newsletter5-btn_bg_color="#000000" tds_newsletter5-btn_bg_color_hover="#4db2ec" tds_newsletter5-check_accent="#000000" tds_newsletter6-input_bar_display="row" tds_newsletter6-btn_bg_color="#da1414" tds_newsletter6-check_accent="#da1414" tds_newsletter7-image="755" tds_newsletter7-btn_bg_color="#1c69ad" tds_newsletter7-check_accent="#1c69ad" tds_newsletter7-f_title_font_size="20" tds_newsletter7-f_title_font_line_height="28px" tds_newsletter8-input_bar_display="row" tds_newsletter8-btn_bg_color="#00649e" tds_newsletter8-btn_bg_color_hover="#21709e" tds_newsletter8-check_accent="#00649e" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn19" embedded_form_code="YWN0aW9uJTNEJTIybGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tJTJGc3Vic2NyaWJlJTIy" tds_newsletter1-f_descr_font_family="521" tds_newsletter1-f_input_font_family="521" tds_newsletter1-f_btn_font_family="521" tds_newsletter1-f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" tds_newsletter1-f_btn_font_weight="600" tds_newsletter1-btn_bg_color="#dd3333" descr_space="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjExIn0=" tds_newsletter1-input_border_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.3)" tds_newsletter1-input_border_color_active="#727277" tds_newsletter1-f_descr_font_size="eyJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxMiIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" tds_newsletter1-f_descr_font_line_height="1.3" tds_newsletter1-input_bar_display="eyJwb3J0cmFpdCI6InJvdyJ9" tds_newsletter1-input_text_color="#000000" tds_newsletter1-input_border_size="eyJwb3J0cmFpdCI6IjEifQ=="]