“ I don’t think he’s a striker, first of all.” David Moyes has already set the tone around Braiden Graham before Everton’s Carabao Cup tie. Everton are down to 18 outfield players, with Christian Norgaard and Merlin Rohl injured, and Moyes used two goalkeepers on the bench for the first time this term. Graham’s 58 shirt and Malik Olayiwola’s 76 were hanging up in the away dressing room at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Moyes's view on Graham
Moyes was clear that Graham is more likely to be used wide than through the middle. “He’s probably someone who would play off the sides for us,” he said, adding that Graham has trained with the senior group quite a lot and was involved in pre-season. That is a practical call from a manager short of bodies, not a sign that the teenager is about to be handed the centre-forward role.
The numbers around Everton's squad explain why the call-up matters. They have won one, drawn three and lost one of their last five league matches, and that kind of run leaves little room for a thin bench. Moyes also said it would be a difficult ask for any young player to come in and be a source for goals in the Premier League.
Braiden Graham has had a decent scoring season in the academy, with 21 goals for Everton's youth sides last season and three so far this term. That is encouraging, but it still sits inside a youth pathway. Moyes's caution on his role is the right one.
Olayiwola's rapid rise
Olayiwola's path has moved quickly enough to become part of the same conversation. He said the weekend in London was “surreal” and described being around senior players as “crazy”. He also said the call-up gave him confidence going back into the youth group.
This season, Olayiwola has gone from the Under-18s to the Under-21s and then to the first-team bench in a short space of time. He also scored for Everton Under-21s against Brentford at Wheatsheaf Park in Staines, a low drive from the edge of the area that added another small step to the climb.
He signed his first professional contract in his 12th year at the club, so Everton are already tied into his development. The club now have a couple of teenagers in the frame because the senior squad is stretched, and that is the real story here. Graham may get a look, but Moyes has made clear it should be viewed as a wide-player opening first, not a No 9 solution.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
