Fraser Hornby has revealed the conversations he had with an Everton teammate before deciding on his loan move this summer.
The striker, who was part of the under-23s squad which claimed a brilliant double last season, was sent out on loan to Belgian side KV Kortrijk for the 2019/20 campaign after an impressive number of performances for David Unsworth's men.
The move abroad was a surprise one for the 20-year-old, who has now admitted he had never heard of his new club before being made aware of their interest!
But a conversation with Blues teammate Yannick Bolasie was enough to convince him in a move to Europe.
"I had never heard of Kortrijk before (but) I knew about the existence of the Jupiler Pro League," Hornby told Belgian publication Knack Weekend (via SportWitness ).
"When I learned of KV Kortrijk’s interest, I looked up things like the club’s past, who played here and after an enlightening conversation with trainer Yves Vanderhaeghe, who clearly explained his plans for the team and me, I thought it was a great opportunity to come here.
"I also checked with Yannick Bolasie about the Jupiler Pro League and told me that I would be surprised about this competition. When he arrived at Anderlecht, he was also surprised about how intense this competition is.
"After a few days of training at KVK, I immediately knew what he meant: the level here is high, the coach is demanding, I am now even more convinced that I have made a good choice, here I will be challenged again."
A number of clubs were interested in a potential temporary switch for Hornby before the striker chose a move abroad.
And now the youngster has opened up on prior interest in his services and why it's tough for players in his age bracket to make the breakthrough into the Premier League.
"Last season there was interest in a loan, but Everton did not let me leave," he added.
"This season, I got the green light from the club management. It was also the time to leave and gain experience in a first-team.
"You know, it has become more and more difficult for UK club youth products to breakthrough at the club they are trained in.
"Because the Premier League is still the most-watched and covered competition in the world, so much money is spent on it, that clubs are attracting players from different places more and more. That is also why I wanted to look for other opportunities."
