Photo: Lampard calls up 21-year-old who ‘can go right to the very top’ to Everton first-team training

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Everton boss Frank Lampard has been putting his players through their paces ahead of their Premier League clash on Saturday.

The Toffees, fresh from a superb 3-0 win over Leeds last Saturday, head to Southampton for a 3pm kickoff.

Everton bounced back in style from their loss at Newcastle last Tuesday with a resounding victory at the weekend.

On Tuesday, the Toffees released photos of their players in training at USM Finch Farm.

And among the first-teamers was a recent signing for the Under-23s who has been tipped to “go right to the very top”.

That player is Billy Crellin, who joined the Everton setup from Fleetwood in the last day of the January transfer window.

The England Under-20 international penned a two-and-a-half-year deal to keep him at Goodison Park until at least June 2024.

Crellin, who featured in England’s Under-17 World Cup winning campaign in 2017, made his senior debut for Fleetwood in 2018.

The 21-year-old played 16 matches during a promotion-winning season loan with then-League Two Bolton last term.

Crellin has also played for Chorley and FC United of Manchester on loan. 

“He can do whatever he wants to do in the game”

In 2019, then-Fleetwood boss Joey Barton tipped the young goalkeeper to one day become a full England international.

The Blackpool Gazette asked him just how far Crellin could progress in the game.

Barton replied: “It’s a tough question. It’s a case of getting the key stage of development right but I think he can do whatever he wants to do in the game.

“I don’t want to heap a load of pressure on a young (then) 19-year-old keeper. But if he keeps progressing at the rate he has been he can go right to the very top.

“There are a lot of young keepers out there and you look at the calibre of the keepers ahead of him in the England set-up. We’ve got some good young English goalkeepers.

“If Bill keeps progressing he could challenge them boys and become a full international because he does have the potential.”