Everton have a certain knack for producing homegrown midfield talent, with Ross Barkley their most proud recent graduate despite his untimely exit back in 2018.

The current crop of youth prospects all seems to carry plenty of ambitions for a similar breakthrough, with Isaac Price a prominent member of a core group that is constantly mentioned in conversations with the first team.

Labelled a “box-to-box midfielder” by his former manager at youth level David Unsworth, the 19-year-old has earned praise for his industrious performances in the midfield for the Toffees.

Unsworth continued by claiming: “He is a great passer, he's got a bit of everything.” He has also labelled him "terrific" in the past.

His emergence into the senior squad could come at the perfect time, with Idrissa Gana Gueye having returned to the club this summer.

The Senegalese star is a guaranteed starter for Frank Lampard’s side, but Price should aim to be the long-term successor to the 32-year-old whose engine must run out eventually.

Last season, the Northern Irish midfielder featured 24 times in the Premier League 2, scoring once and assisting twice. Similar to Gueye, his prerogative seems to stray from the offensive side of the game.

He can clearly chip in with goals, as this season he already has two in eight appearances in all competitions, but it is not his main strength.

His steady performances have earned him two appearances in the senior squad too, and although brief, the fact that both were under Lampard will give him confidence that if he performs well he will be given chances.

Across his two stints and 111 appearances, Gueye has managed to score just four goals, showing how big an impact someone can have without detailing outstanding statistics.

In the one game this season where data was available, Price had a standout performance. A SofaScore rating of 7.0 was well deserved, as he made 4.0 tackles and clearances, and was successful in 100% of his dribbles whilst having 76 touches and scoring a goal.

It was the quintessential midfield performance against Morecambe, highlighting just a taste of what he can offer Everton in the future.

He could be a perfect replacement for Gueye, when he eventually starts to decline.