Holgate trades Tykes for Toffees

Posted Friday, August 14, 2015 by Foxsports.com

Everton boss Roberto Martinez has tipped new signing Mason Holgate to have a bright future following his arrival from Barnsley on Wednesday.

Everton boss Roberto Martinez has tipped new signing Mason Holgate to have a bright future following his arrival from Barnsley on Wednesday.

The Tykes youth product made his first-team breakthrough last season and impressed in his 22 appearances for the League One outfit, even scoring one goal.

Holgate had been linked with making the step up to the Premier League during the off-season, and Martinez has now offered the 18-year-old defender that route at Goodison Park.

The teenager has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Toffees, whose manager sees "incredible potential" in Holgate.

"With Mason, an opportunity came up and we didn't want to lose out. He is a young man with a very impressive future," Martinez told the club's official website.

"His development is going to be important and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can have an impact on the first team.

"But he is not a player who I would expect to perform straightaway in the Premier League - that would be very unfair. Mason, already at 18, has played 20 games in League One, which shows his incredible potential.

"I feel that we are the perfect place in order for Mason to develop into a top footballer. I know that he is a player who can bring us something quite unique, so we are excited about that possibility, even though he is one for the future rather than now."