Silva wants a team ‘that makes Evertonians proud’

Under new Director of Football Marcel Brands, Everton have made aggressive moves to reduce the average age of the squad this summer - every one of the seven players brought in is under 25 years old.

However, lest the players on either side of thirty start thinking they’re on the chopping block, manager Marco Silva has assured that all he’s looking for is balance in his squad.

Speaking to EvertonFC.com, the manager said -

“The age [of an individual] is not important for me. Whether you are 18, or 33 or 34, it is not important.

“What makes the difference is your performance and the way you work every day. Then I will make my decisions.

“But you do have to have a balance in the squad. Even if the squad is younger than last season’s we kept a lot of experience, which is important.”

StatsBomb

The players who have left the club this summer are all over this chart, but let’s focus on the three marked regions. Veterans are in the red oval, and two of those four are gone. The remaining pair have capable backups who will be taking over their starting spots sooner than later.

In the green oval are some key players who are still very young and have some time to cement themselves into the senior squad. Finally, the blue oval is actually showing a void where the Blues need some players to grow into. 24-28 years old is considered to be the peak age for footballers and an area where the Blues need to continue to build at, hence the additions this summer.

Another interesting note about Marco Silva, and especially his training methods, is how much players across the spectrum are enjoying his intense sessions. The Portuguese manager commended his charges for how quickly they have adapted.

“They know – and it will get clearer day by day and week by week – what I want. What my expectations are for their performance.

”They will start to know and settle into our system and model.

”They are adapting, which is important, and what we have showed so far looks like we are in a good way.”

These are different times at Goodison Park, and we’re loving every bit of it.