EVERTON’S new manager will inherit a brilliant youth system with plenty of potential first team talent, insists Alan Stubbs.
Academy graduates Ross Barkley, John Lundstram and Chris Long, plus January recruit John Stones are all part of Peter Taylor’s squad for this summer’s tournament in Turkey.
The Young Lions begin their campaign with group matches against Iraq, Chile and African champions Egypt before the knock-out phase for the 24-nation tournament begins on July 2.
Stubbs (below), who along with Phil Neville and David Weir is now unlikely to succeed Moyes but could get a job in the successful candidate’s back-room staff, said: “It’s a major feather in the cap for Everton that we have got that many players in the England squad.
“I’d like to have more players in the England Under-19s and Under-21s groups, but that is just me setting high standards.
“It’s really encouraging from a coach’s point of view and there is nothing better than when you are working with good quality players who are developing.”
Despite Everton Under-21s reaching the last-four stage of their league play-off, Stubbs maintains that a key focus of the Blues youth system should remain producing players good enough to break into the first-team squad such as Barkley.
“My aim is to put more players through [to the first-team],” he added. “I harp on about that all the time because I want more and more players to progress every year.
“There shouldn’t be a case when we have a dry year. I know that is setting high standards but that is what we have to do. We have got to try and produce players every season.”