Everton youngster joins Reading FC

Author: Jonathan RichardsPublished 23rd Sep 2020
Last updated 23rd Sep 2020

Reading Football Club has signed young Everton defender, Lewis Gibson, on a season-long loan.

He will take squad number 15.

“I am absolutely delighted that Lewis has come to join the group and to be part of what we are trying to achieve here at Reading,” Pauno said.

“A confident and capable left-footed defender who is comfortable on the ball and aware of the philosophy we are implementing out on the training pitch, he has promise and potential in abundance as well as the talent to make an impact as a Royal this season. I am sure he will add competition to our defence and a readiness to our squad.”

Gibson came through the youth ranks at Newcastle United but joined the Toffees at the age of 17.

Having already featured at the higher age group, Gibson quickly became a regular under David Unsworth in Merseyside, routinely representing Everton’s Under-23s over the course of the next three seasons and captaining the side to a league and cup double in 2018-19.

And he earned his first minutes in league football when he joined Joey Barton’s Fleetwood Town on loan for the second half of last season.

He kept four clean sheets in nine League One starts for Fleetwood and was unbeaten throughout – helping the Lancashire side win six and draw three to edge into a top six spot.

An England youth international, Gibson was part of Steve Cooper’s squad that lifted the Under-17 World Cup in 2017 – sharing an England dressing room with the likes of Phil Foden, Rhian Brewster, Callum Hudson-Odoi and former Royal Danny Loader amongst others.

He has since made his mark for England at Under-20 level, playing the full ninety minutes in their 3-0 friendly win over Iceland last November.