Mason Holgate has been in and out of the Everton side for most of his five-year stay at the club so far.
Since signing from Barnsley in 2015 for £2m, he has made 75 appearances for the Toffees. He also spent last year out on loan at West Bromwich Albion, as well, before playing 23 matches for the Goodison Park outfit so far this campaign.
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Now 23, it is surely about time that he start showing his true quality, and he seems to be doing just that.
Between December of 2019 and March of this one, his Transfermarkt valuation has gone up by £9m from £6.3m to £15.3m.
Here, we look at three moments that contributed to that market move.
18/19 season at West Brom
After making just five appearances in the first half of the previous campaign, Holgate was sent out on loan to the Baggies in an attempt to re-find his form – it was a spell that worked a treat. He went on to play 21 times for the Hawthorns outfit, including twice in the Championship play-offs. In fact, of all the possible matches he could have played, he failed to make the starting XI on just three occasions in all competitions.
Picking up an average WhoScored rating of 7.04, as well as making 2.7 tackles and 1.6 interceptions, Holgate made an impression, and he was glowing in his appraisal of his time in the Midlands.
He told the Daily Star: “West Brom was the best thing that I’ve ever done. I loved every minute of it there, I was playing every game and I learned so much for being there. Although we didn’t get there in the end, every game means so much, you can’t afford to drop points, you can’t afford to have a game of it because you’re going for promotion.”
Clearly, Marco Silva was delighted with his displays with the second-tier side, as he kept him as part of his squad for the 2019/20 term.
Everton hire Ancelotti
The Toffees did not start the season too well at all – so poor were they, in fact, that Silva lost his job in December. It wasn’t until the 10th game of the season when Holgate made his first start, meaning that he fortunately was not too scarred by the end of Portuguese man’s tenure – he had been in the starting line-up on just six occasions before he was relieved of his duties.
The arrival of three-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti was not exactly expected, but it is a testament to the England U21 international that Holgate has remained an important member of the side – the Italian’s experience at the highest level means he can spot a player.
Since then, Holgate has started 10 out of 11 Premier League matches, during which time the Merseyside club have lost just three matches. His form during that period has garnered significant praise from supporters – it seems he is flourishing under true managerial quality.
New contract
Before the start of this season, there was a real chance that Holgate’s time at the club could be coming to an end – his contract was set to run out at the end of the campaign. However, just a couple of weeks ago, he committed his future to the club, signing a new five-year deal.
That is considerable in length, and it clearly indicates that Everton are willing to invest in his future, and that will have largely been based on his performances this term.
Of all English centre-backs, only Harry Maguire has won more duels than Holgate this season – he has clearly progressed and, already looking like a favourite under Ancelotti, he may very well be part of the furniture for the foreseeable future.