Another special night in the history of Everton Football Club took place on Monday with a rising star from Northern Ireland playing his part.
Around 10,000 Evertonians were in attendance to witness the first test event to be played at the club’s new Bramley-Moore Dock home.
Everton Under-18s fell to a 2-1 defeat to Wigan Under-18s in a friendly at the 52,888-capacity stadium, held before the Blues make the move from Goodison Park at the end of the season.
Playing a key role for the Toffees at their new £800m home was former Linfield Academy graduate Braiden Graham.
The 17-year-old has continued to impress since making the move from Windsor Park last summer bagging seven goals in his opening 11 games for the U18s.
Those performances have earned him his chance with the club's Under-21s as he was handed his first start in the recent 1-0 win over Brighton.
Graham followed that up with his first goal at Premier League Two level in Everton's 2-1 defeat to Southampton on Friday with head coach Paul Tait full of praise for the 17-year-old, who has comfortably made the step up from the Under-18s.
"He has been good. It is his first couple of games with us, in which he has been good. I thought Braiden was really good today, he is getting better and better at this level," said Tait.
Graham was unlucky not to write himself into the Everton history books against Wigan on Monday night as he crashed a shot off the woodwork in the 2-1 defeat, but the former Blues starlet will be hoping it's the first of many games for the club at their new home.
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