Marcel Brands has explained exactly why Everton's academy is so important in his long-term vision for the club.
The director of football was in attendance to watch the Blues U23s win a double on Wednesday evening with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United in the Premier League Cup final at Goodison Park.
That triumph, paired with David Unsworth's side confirming their place as Premier league 2 champions just a few weeks earlier, has peaked interest in what is going on in the club's youth sides.
Aside from the U23s, Everton's u18s are also managing to catch the eye with Ellis Simms, who has now signed his first professional contract with the club, in particular being hailed for his goalscoring prowess.
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And Brands, who was speaking at the Blues' academy awards on Thursday night, knows how important the club's youth side are to the project he is trying to implement on Merseyside.
"The academy is so important for the club," Brands said.
"We have a very dedicated staff here. We have got real Evertonians all over the place. They work hard and there is good discipline.
"Also, most importantly, we have got a lot of talented players.
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"When I came here, obviously the first thing was looking at the first-team and the transfer market, but since then I have put a lot of focus on the academy and learning about the boys we have here.
"While there is a lot of money involved in football nowadays, the fundamental part of a club is its youth academy. We have seen there is a pathway here, with a lot of players coming through the academy into our first team."
