Irvine and Stubbs’ departures won’t disrupt youth system.
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Roberto Martinez is in no doubt Everton’s youth setup will not be disrupted by the recent departures of both Alan Irvine and Alan Stubbs.
Irvine left his position as the Club’s Academy Director last week to become the new Head Coach at West Bromwich Albion, while Stubbs, who had been in charge of Everton’s Under-21s team, yesterday took up the top job at Scottish Championship club Hibernian.
But Martinez believes the structure of the Blues’ Academy is equipped to deal with any such changes in senior personnel and told evertonfc.com: “The Academy is more of a focus of the football club, rather than having individuals.
“We have fantastic coaches and fantastic people ready to help that path and we will always make sure our youngsters have every opportunity to develop.
“But that’s where the focus is; not on the coaches – it’s in the quality of the youngsters and the programme that allows them to fulfil that potential.
“Over the years we have seen that irrespective of who the coaches are, the talent comes through, and that will always be the biggest strength of our football club.”
That was evidenced last season, with Ross Barkley’s breakthrough a major plus point of Martinez’s first campaign at the Goodison Park helm.
It was also a year that Luke Garbutt made his Premier League debut, while the likes of Matthew Pennington, Hallam Hope, John Lundstram and Matthew Kennedy all enjoyed successful loan spells in the Football League.
In May, there was European glory for Ryan Ledson and Jonjoe Kenny in the Under-17 European Championships.
And going back over the last decade and further, Wayne Rooney, Tony Hibbert, Leon Osman, James Vaughan, Victor Anichebe and Jack Rodwell have all graduated from the Everton Academy to represent the first team.
“There will always be a lot of effort and intention in creating a good path for our youngsters and we’ll make sure that path to the first team is there,” Martinez added. “We will carry on being innovative and use modern ways to develop our youngsters and give them the opportunities we always have.”
Following Irvine’s departure, Tim Devine is to take temporary charge of the Everton Academy.
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