Pundit issues ‘massive’ verdict on Mason Holgate quitting Everton with multiple deals agreed
Noel Whelan has urged Mason Holgate to “fight” for his Everton place or risk spending the best years of his career on the bench.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the 26-year-old will have a “decision to make” in coming windows if he can’t get past the likes of Conor Coady, James Tarkowski, and Nathan Patterson in the Toffees pecking order.
Holgate has managed just three league starts for Everton this season – with his only other start coming in the 4-1 League Cup humiliation at Bournemouth last month (8 November).
The former England Under-21 international, who can also play at right-back, is out of contract at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Tarkowski and Coady were both signed during the summer window and are yet to miss a game through injury after striking up a formidable partnership – while January signing Patterson has made the right-back berth his own this term.
Nevertheless, Everton sit 17th in the Premier League – just one point above the drop zone.
Whelan told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “They’ve gone out and got two centre-backs in the summer, they’ve signed players in the full-back areas as well.
“He’s got a really massive task on his hands now to get back into this first-team mix.
“When you’re at a certain age and you’ve come through the ranks, signed for a Premier League club after impressing in the Championship – you don’t want to sit on a bench.
“If he can’t play, he’ll be missing out on some of the best years of his career. So he’s got a decision to make.
“But personally, if I were a manager – I’d love to see players fighting for a place. Holgate has got to give Lampard a dilemma.
“Hopefully he can be the type of character who can fight for his place and show that bit of desire. That’s what they need right now.”
In other news, Football Insider updates with Everton braced for manager change amid Lampard interest.