ALAN IRVINE insists Everton’s transfer constraints will place no additional pressure on academy staff to produce home-grown talent and that David Moyes is the man to give youth a chance.
The Scot returned this week to embark on his third spell with the club to take up the role of Academy Manager from the long-serving Ray Hall and he believes any lack of transfer activity will not prompt any more pressure to deliver talent to the first-team than is felt at other clubs.
Quizzed on whether there is pressure to fill the transfer void with academy graduates, Irvine said: “I don’t think so, what happens at first team level that’s one thing but I think all academies are under pressure now, they are a lot more accountable than they were in the past quite simply because there’s an awful lot of money been invested in them.
“They’re huge organisations now, they employ a great number of people, they work with a lot of boys, their budgets are very, very big and that’s what puts the pressure on.
“Obviously you can’t turn a young player into an old player over night, it takes time so whilst the pressure is there, everybody will understand that it’s long-term player development, it’s not an instant fix or anything like that so is there more pressure? No I don’t think so because we can’t flick a switch, it doesn’t just happen.”
Academy director at both Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United prior to becoming assistant manager at Goodison Park, Irvine intends on not making any rash changes to an Academy which has spawned first-team regulars such as Jack Rodwell, Victor Anichebe and Leon Osman.
Instead, the 53-year-old hopes the Academy’s youngsters can draw one simple inspiration from those to have made the step into David Moyes’ squad.
“The fact that if you’re good enough you’ll get an opportunity here,” added the former Preston and Sheffield Wednesday boss.
“It’s really a huge benefit for any player at this club. There’s no doubt that they will be given an opportunity, the manager was prepared to put in young players from the very first month or two that we came to the club.
“He put Wayne (Rooney) into the team so he’s not frightened to do that and he realises that he’s had a lot of success doing it.
“ If I was a young player at this club I’d be looking and saying ‘I might not be too far away’.”
After just under four years in management, Irvine’s new role completes a move from first-team affairs back into the development system and as well as being thrilled to be back at Goodison, he is confident his experiences in the hot-seat will help him deliver exactly what David Moyes is looking for.
“It’s great to be back," he added.
"It’s a club where I was very happy as a player and as an assistant manager and to come back again is terrific.
“I would hope that what I’ve discovered doing those jobs will help me to produce the kind of players that the manager wants.
“Until you’ve actually sat in the manager’s chair, it doesn’t matter what anyone says, you don’t know what the job is going to be like.
“I thought I knew when I was assistant manager, I thought I knew what being the manager was all about, but I didn’t.
“ And so it’s something that you learn as you go on really. I know now what I was looking for from the youth development staff at both Preston and Sheffield Wednesday so hopefully I’ll be able to provide that for David.”
