Should Everton keep an eye on Sam Stubbs after comments on ambition?

By Sam Leveridge

Alan Stubbs is a well known name to many Everton fans, having made 181 appearances for the club as a defensive stalwart between 2001 and 2008, but his son Sam is now making a breakthrough of his own.

The Middlesbrough defender is currently out on loan at Notts County in League Two, but has been highly rated by many of his coaches and is already planning to surpass his father.

“I am very fortunate to have someone like that a phone call away. There’s a rivalry there because I want to be potentially better than him. But it’s never been a hindrance. It’s always been a positive,” he told the Nottingham Post.

MERSEYSIDE, UNITED KINGDOM: Everton’s Alan Stubbs (L) celebrates at the final whistle after their English Premiership football match against Arsenal at Goodison Park ,Merseyside, north-west England, 18 March, 2007. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES Mobile and website use of domestic English football pictures subject to subscription of a license with Football Association Premier League (FAPL) tel : +44 207 298 1656. For newspapers where the football content of the printed and electronic versions are identical, no licence is necessary. (Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

Everton have a strong track record of developing young talents, often picked up from the EFL, and Stubbs could be the latest name to join that ranks, even if it may be early days.

The 20-year-old has been ever present since joining Neal Ardley’s League Two side on loan, having moved from Wigan Athletic to Middlesbrough on a free transfer in the summer.

A promising centre-back, he has some journey to go in order to surpass his father, but Everton fans would surely be pleased to see the Stubbs name back on a teamsheet in the future.