Simms is unique in his progress at Everton. At 16 hit a ball at Rooney and he’d control it easily off any part of his body, hit a ball at the 16 year old Simms when he joined us and it was likely to bounce off his knee and hit his chin. He had height, strength , pace and a hard shot little else. I suspect all the players you mentioned had far more natural talent at 16 than Simms.
In his first season he progressed but didn’t really get regular games at u18 until near the season’s end, second season he took off goals wise, and at the end of that season appeared in a few U23s games but with no big impact . This season he’s progressing again. I don’t see the same football intelligence that Rooney and say Rashford had at the same age but he’s a great example of how good coaching, hard work and patience can raise the level of a player and make steady progress. I doubt if he would get a better coaching set up at any other lower level club next season and as he’s still got lots to learn , so it’s a balance between keeping him in our U23s and loaning him out to play football at men’s football/ a higher level. I’m prepared to be patient and hoping that in 18 months time we‘ll have an exciting 20 year old kid appearing in our pre season games and we’ll have a clearer idea of just how far he can go ...or maybe sooner.
