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“I felt like this was the right place for me to develop as a player,” Lewis Gibson told the ECHO earlier this year about his move from Newcastle United to Merseyside.

“I’ve been proved right so far and I’ve been happy with my decision. I’ve developed a lot as a player. I imagined myself at Everton and knew there was a clear pathway."

Gibson, during a successful pre-season that included several senior run-outs and a goal against Mainz, would have been forgiven for fancying his chances this season.

The well-publicised failure to land a centre-back left Marco Silva short of options and the 19-year-old is training with the first-team alongside Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate as well as appearing regularly for David Unsworth's under-23 champions.

But after failing to be included in any of Silva's Carabao Cup squads, the defender - out of contract in the summer - now appears to have reached a crossroads in his development at Goodison Park that needs to be immediately addressed.

Title winner details Everton dream, learning from Kurt Zouma and catching Marco Silva's eye - Lewis Gibson exclusive HERE

Gibson, for what it is worth, will be perfectly aware of his options.

He will see the impact Jonjoe Kenny - nominated for his second consecutive 'rookie of the month' award - is having in the Bundesliga with Schalke and will also have been watching his best friend Matty Longstaff score the winner for Newcastle against Manchester United at the weekend.

Gibson is now one of just three players - the others are Chelsea's George McEachran and Manchester City's Joel Latibeaudiere - to have not made a senior club appearance following under-17 World Cup glory with England in 2017.

Reports this week suggested that his former club could return for his services and it is undoubted that Everton will field calls about his availability.

Both Silva and Marcel Brands have a decision to make in January but the situation has been allowed to escalate to a point where the player now holds a solid bargaining chip.

If he refuses to ink fresh terms, then Everton will be forced to cash in during the winter window but pre-contract terms could also be struck with foreign outfits.

Gibson's situation, meanwhile, is similar to that of Dennis Adeniran.

The midfielder, brought to the club from Fulham during the same summer as the centre-back, has been training with the first-team but is no closer to a senior bow.

With his contract running out in 2021 - and Everton's under-23s also possessing the likes of Morgan Feeney, Beni Baningime and Antony Evans - the club are left with a stockpile of young talent desperate to be handed an opportunity.

Whether that is at Everton or elsewhere remains to be seen but that same crossroad has now firmly been reached for a handful of starlets.

It would be a clear blow to lose Gibson or Adeniran for nothing in the next 18 months after the investment made towards their future but there has to be a release valve on the bottleneck of youngsters all competing for a place in Silva's first-team.

Gibson, Adeniran and Anthony Gordon - who the manager claims is pushing for senior selection - are all gaining invaluable experience in training but, simultaneously, the opportunity will be fuelling their own personal desire to play first-team football.

What happens in the coming months with Gibson, then, could indicate the current standpoint towards young players and their contracts.

If he's allowed to leave - whether that be permanently, on loan or on a free transfer - Everton will be hoping the decision does not ultimately come back to haunt them.