With it becoming increasingly difficult to break into a Premier League side if you’re a young player, most are now looking abroad for their chances.
The success of Jadon Sancho in the Bundesliga has prompted many of the Premier League’s younger players to broaden their horizons and head to Europe in search of first-team football.
That’s something Everton’s Fraser Hornby decided to do this summer. The forward wasn’t getting a look in at Goodison Park but knew that he needed regular senior football to further his career.
Rather than moving down the English football pyramid, though, he headed to Belgium, joining KV Kortrijk on a season-long loan deal a decision he made after getting permission from Everton.
“Last season there was interest in a loan, but Everton did not let me leave,” he told Knack Weekend.
“This season, I got the green light from the club management. It was also the time to leave and gain experience in a first-team.
“You know, it has become more and more difficult for UK club youth products to breakthrough at the club they are trained in.
“Because the Premier League is still the most-watched and covered competition in the world, so much money is spent on it, that clubs are attracting players from different places more and more. That is also why I wanted to look for other opportunities.”
The move to Belgium certainly caught most off guard, with most presuming that Hornby would end up somewhere in England, or perhaps his native Scotland.
He instead elected for an adventure in the Jupiler League and a chance to broaden his footballing horizons.
It seems he didn’t head to the country without doing his research beforehand, as he revealed a conversation with Everton teammate Yannick Bolasie gave him the lowdown on what to expect.
“I had never heard of Kortrijk before (but) I knew about the existence of the Jupiler Pro League,” he added.
“When I learned of KV Kortrijk’s interest, I looked up things like the club’s past, who played here and after an enlightening conversation with trainer Yves Vanderhaeghe, who clearly explained his plans for the team and me, I thought it was a great opportunity to come here.
“I also checked with Yannick Bolasie about the Jupiler Pro League and told me that I would be surprised about this competition. When he arrived at Anderlecht, he was also surprised about how intense this competition is.
“After a few days of training at KVK, I immediately knew what he meant: the level here is high, the coach is demanding, I am now even more convinced that I have made a good choice, here I will be challenged again.“
