“An exciting talent… and Kylian Mbappe,” Everton’s social media team wrote earlier this month in a tongue-in-cheek caption accompanying a picture of Northern Ireland youngster Braiden Graham shaking hands with the French superstar.Up to that point, it had been a night of relative disappointment for the 18-year-old Graham, who, for the second successive game, had seen his chance of a senior international debut slip away from him.Yet the chance to briefly rub shoulders with Mbappe was something of a consolation prize and, in any case, a milestone first Northern Ireland appearance is unlikely to elude him for much longer.
An exciting talent… and Kylian Mbappé. 💫 pic.twitter.com/MaYmGfruXP
— Everton Academy (@EvertonAcademy) June 9, 2026Northern Ireland’s talent pool is small enough — the country has a population of just under two million — that chances are there for for promising youngsters like Graham. Arsenal’s Ceadach O’Neill and Liverpool’s Kieran Morrison, 18 and 19 respectively, have already made their debuts for Michael O’Neill’s side.The only surprise is that Graham’s call-up did not come even sooner, such has been his form in the Everton academy since his 2024 move from Belfast side Linfield.The teenager’s stats for this season alone are compelling: 25 goals in 34 games, the vast majority of which came at under-21 level.Everton have had a number of prolific strikers in their academy in recent seasons, including Ellis Simms and Tom Cannon, now of Coventry City and Sheffield United respectively. But none have been quite as productive as Graham at second-string level.Graham’s record has piqued the interest of supporters and media. With first-team strikers Beto and Thierno Barry toiling at various stages of the season just gone, the 18-year-old was regularly touted for a senior debut that never came. Manager David Moyes often fielded questions in press conferences about Graham’s potential promotion.The teenager did train with Moyes’ side at times throughout the campaign, including on the pre-season trip to St Andrews, but the closest he got to a breakthrough was bench appearances away at Nottingham Forest and at in the home cup tie against Sunderland, when the squad was beset by absences.Could next season be the year Graham finally explodes onto the first-team scene?Graham’s summer 2024 arrival came at a very specific juncture in the Everton’s modern history, with the club desperately short of money and struggling to find someone to replace owner Farhad Moshiri at the helm.
