Everton forward signs first professional contract after stunning start

Talented forward Braiden Graham has signed his first professional contract with Everton. The deal marks the latest stage of the impressive progress of the teenager, who made his senior debut for former club Linfield at just 15.

His development there captured the attention of the Blues and led to a pursuit that ended in success as he joined the club as a scholar.

The work to convince him to move to Merseyside saw Graham take his place among the tens of thousands in the stands at Goodison Park when Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stunning goal sealed Everton's survival against Bournemouth on the final day of the 2022/23 season.

READ MORE: Sean Dyche makes Jarrad Branthwaite January transfer admission as Everton face anxious takeover wait

READ MORE: Asmir Begovic makes Jarrad Branthwaite transfer claim and lifts lid on Everton punishment wheel

He then made the move from Northern Ireland to Merseyside 12 months later and has started life at Finch Farm in stunning fashion. Graham has scored eight goals across seven games as a 16-year-old in Leighton Baines’ Under-18s.

Graham, who turned 17 this week, has now put pen to paper on his first professional deal with the Blues - a three-year contract that will run until 2027. Upon committing his future to the Blues, he said: "It’s unreal. It’s something I’ve always worked for since being a kid. All those years – the hard work and sacrifices – it’s been rewarded.

“I knew before I came to Everton that I’d have to hit the ground running because the best players will do that. Since I arrived, I’ve wanted to play well, score goals and help the team – and I think I’ve been doing that. All the boys have helped me to settle in really well. They were very welcoming and they’re good lads, so I think I’ve settled in very quickly.

“It’s such a big family club and everyone here made me feel very welcome. I just see a good pathway at this club for me to come through.”

His start to life at Everton follows the club’s keen pursuit of him. Of the impression the Blues made on him, Graham told the Belfast Telegraph in the summer: “The whole feeling around the club made me think it was perfect for me. I felt there was a good pathway at Everton for me. It just felt right. I was at Goodison Park on the final day of that season and Everton beat Bournemouth 1-0 to stay up. Watching that game, I was like, ‘I want to play here’.”

That pursuit is paying dividends in Baines' U18s but it did not come easy, with Everton fighting off interest from elsewhere to convince Graham to move to Merseyside. Following his electric start, director of football Kevin Thelwell said: “We were delighted to bring Braiden to Everton in the summer, amid a lot of competition from other clubs for his signature, and it’s a move that has benefitted both him and the club.

“He’s been excellent so far this season. His goal record is very impressive, and he’s shown a great attitude for learning. Braiden’s game has developed working with our talented coaches, and he can see a clear pathway that offers him a great chance to progress at Everton.”

Graham is one of a cohort of forwards signed by the academy over the summer to have started the new campaign well. His team-mate Justin Clarke, signed from AFC Wimbledon in September, has six goals in four games.

Baines’ side includes starlets who are part of their respective national setups - Graham with Northern Ireland and others such as England youth goalkeeper Douglass Lukjanciks and Wales forward George Morgan.