Twenty-one today Mason Holgate has the key to the door – but another defeat for crisis club Everton will see the Goodison defender turn the lock on a celebratory night out.
Holgate faces Arsenal and he confessed: “Hopefully it’ll be a good birthday, getting three points and then going out for a meal with my mum and dad. If we lose I’ll stay in.”
Just two wins in the last 12 games in a season of high expectation has tested far more experienced players than Holgate but the England Under-21 star, who followed the same Barnsley to Everton trail as John Stones , is made of pure Yorkshire grit.
Even conceding a penalty after just four minutes of Thursday night’s fractious Europa League encounter with Lyon hasn’t dulled his appetite for the fight ahead. And he maintains Everton’s young brigade, which also includes Jordan Pickford, Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman, won’t buckle under the increasing pressure.
“Myself and the rest of the young lads know football isn’t easy. There are going to be a lot of ups and downs,” he said.
“It’s about trying to stay the same through all of them. Last season for people like me and Tom, there were a lot of highs. We were doing well as a team.
“As a squad we’ve not done what was expected of us, but it is not through a lack of effort.”
Many Premier League bosses under the cosh would ditch the younger players for more battle-hardened experienced pros. But Holgate praises his manager Ronald Koeman for holding his nerve and sticking with youth. “He’s stuck with us and we want to show him that age doesn’t affect our minds,” added Holgate. “We’re just like any player, no matter our age.”