Everton boast one of the most prolific academies in the country, having produced a wealth of talent over the last few decades to bolster their side or others in the Premier League.

It seemed like they had produced yet another teenage star when Tom Davies broke onto the scene on a fresh January afternoon in 2017.

The boyhood blue started in central midfield alongside the dependable Gareth Barry and the decisive Ross Barkley and acted as the mediator between these two contrasting play styles. They faced Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, which although transitioning still had huge quality throughout their ranks.

It was expected that an ageing Yaya Toure would run riot against the slight 18-year-old, however it was he who dominated the Ivorian to lay down a marker. 

Playing vital roles in three of the four goals, scoring the third himself, his lung-busting run, wonderful chop inside and deft chipped finish had fans reeling over their next superstar forming before their very eyes.

But, six years on, they are yet to see any progress.

How much is Tom Davies worth now?

Now a 24-year-old with 175 senior appearances for the Toffees, the last few years have been arduous for the scouse maestro who has lacked quality. In his sparse cameos this season he has just a 6.54 average rating, which marks a downturn from the equally poor 6.63 the season prior.

The ever-changing nature of the club’s manager position certainly stuttered his growth, but the midfielder can only blame himself for an inability to use that magical aforementioned night as a springboard for further success.

It seemed like the 5 foot 11 ace never truly knew what kind of a presence he wanted to be in the engine room, often torn between a focus on defending or attacking.

In the end, he became neither, and co-host of Everton podcast, the Bullens View, Lee McLean tore into the midfielder following a particularly poor display in 2021: “I just think he’s an extremely poor footballer which is based on five years of watching him play week in week out. I have determined that I just don’t think he’s very good.

“He hasn’t kicked on in five years and never looks look like he’s got the fight or any sort of will to improve himself in any way. I don’t know what he’s particularly good at. He doesn’t score, he doesn’t assist. He’s weak, he’s not quick. He doesn’t impose himself on games and I think he hides from possession a lot.”

Despite this, his value has unsurprisingly seen a sharp rise from the youngster who first appeared from nowhere. Originally valued at just €500k (£444k) as of 2017, that has risen to an impressive €12m (£10.6m) as of 2022: a mighty 2,287% increase.

Whilst this is hardly indicative of his influence on the pitch, it does mark an opportunity for Sean Dyche to cash in should the opportunity arise.