Irvine: Beattie missed out due to young guns

Aug 6 2007 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

ON A DAY that Everton’s former record signing James Beattie was unveiled at Bramall Lane as the most expensive player in Sheffield United’s history, Everton assistant manager Alan Irvine paid tribute to the Goodison club’s young strikers.

Everton finished their final pre-season game, a 0-0 draw at Championship Crystal Palace with two teenage players – Victor Anichebe and Lukas Jutkiewicz – in their attack, a couple of hours after Beattie was meeting Blades fans after his £4million switch across the Pennines.

Irvine said: “The emergence of James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe and the fact that they’ve been doing so well has made it more difficult for James (Beattie).

“If they’d not been playing so well then James would have probably played more football and his confidence would probably have been a bit higher than it is.

“I’m disappointed that things didn’t work out for James, I’ve known James for a very long time and I honestly hoped and thought that things would have worked out for him and I think it’s probably best for James to move on at this time.

“I’m talking as someone who knows him well as a person not just as assistant manager of Everton.

“I will contact him and will wish him all the best and continue to follow his career until he finishes in football.”

While Anichebe and the currently injured Vaughan have been part of Everton’s first team squad for over a year, substitute Jutkiewicz has been fast-tracked into the senior side ahead of schedule and played the final 13 minutes alongside fellow youngster Bjarni Vidarsson, who replaced Mikel Arteta in midfield at half-time.

Irvine said: “Lukas got on the pitch because there wasn’t anybody else.

“But that doesn’t mean that we think he shouldn’t be here. Circumstances such as the injury to James Vaughan and James Beattie leaving has meant that he’s closer to playing in the first team than perhaps he would have thought.

“It was terrific for Bjarni too. He was out on loan (at Bournemouth) last season and did well. He’s close to our first team because we’ve got injuries and he’s been doing well in training.

“He’s capable in training and the lads respect him and know the ability he’s got so we’ll have to wait and see what happens with those two lads, they’ve certainly been given a taste today and that can only be good for them.”

Arteta left the action with a slight injury but Irvine is hopeful that he’ll be back in time to face Wigan in Saturday’s Premier League opener at Goodison Park.

He said: “I’m disappointed with the number of players who have missed games and training with injuries.

“If this had been a league game then we’d have had more players available but it wasn’t so we can’t risk things.

“Mikel got a whack, we’ll have to see how it is, it’s quite sore and he’s limping quite heavily just now but it’s a kick rather than anything else.

“I don’t think it’s anything more serious or sinister and I’d expect that he’d be quite tender for a couple of days but join in training quite soon.”