In an era where the quality of football in the Women’s Super League is at an all-time high, the squads of the top clubs in the division are stacked with top talents.
The rise to prominence of clubs outside of the standard Chelsea and Arsenal have made it a much more competitive league.
Those at the top level of the Women’s game therefore have been more prone to loaning out their younger talents to fellow WSL teams, with confidence that they can be developed and mature as players.
Everton Women have been excellent so far this season, and loan players Emily Ramsey and Jess Park have been key to that up-turn in performance levels. Their form has seen them called up to the England squad, highlighting the impact of their loan moves.
Park is a 21-year-old forward on loan from Manchester City and caught attention after her stunning goal in the Women’s Merseyside Derby at Anfield earlier in the campaign.
Her energy from a wide area is a noticeable attribute of hers, and resulted in a first England call up in late 2022.
Although she didn’t make her debut for her country, the recent call-up suggests that she is firmly in contention to be a part of England boss Sarina Wiegman’s plans.
With the likes of Beth Mead of Arsenal out long-term there is undoubtedly scope for her to make some appearances, learning from some of the best players in the country.
This all stems from the progress she has made under Everton manager Brian Sorensen, a tactician who has been praised for his selection flexibility. The club have been playing a more fluid style of football this season, winning games at a decent rate.
Likewise, Emily Ramsey, a goalkeeper on-loan from Manchester United, has made steady progress too. She is highly thought off at United, and despite starting the season as second choice to Courtney Brosnan, has established herself as the goalkeeper for league games.
United have been brilliant in the WSL so far, and they play a possession-heavy game which starts off from the goalkeeper.
Ensuring that Ramsey comes back with experience of playing out from the back is crucial to her development.
Everton don’t necessarily dominate the ball, but when they have it they like to play incisive football.
A confident goalkeeper playing precise passes into the feet of the back three helps hugely, setting them off on attacks. Getting the ball forward quickly by breaking the lines then brings Park into play, as she can use her explosive pace and alert footballing-brain to play on the front foot.
Everton’s playing style helps massively when it comes to attracting loanees, with clubs seeing the progress of Ramsey and Park and taking notice. Clubs such as Man City and Man United know that the best way to develop these players is with regular game-time.
Despite not quite breaking into that top four in the league, it is fair to say that Everton have established themselves as best of the rest in WSL terms.
The recent England call-ups help draw light to their progress, and having two internationals in the ranks is huge for the Toffees.
One downside to the recent squad announcement is the lack of inclusion for Gabby George. She has been tremendous for Sorenson’s blues as of late, helping her win the player of the month for January.
The future looks bright for both Ramsey and Park, with Everton seemingly a good place to send young talents on loan in the WSL.
