For years, Everton FC has been in the doldrums of a squad who fed off the scraps of other teams in the Premier League and around the world.
Getting young talent to come to the Blue half of Merseyside was a struggle, mostly because those up-and-coming players didn't see Everton as an attractive option or a step up in terms of quality for their career.
More recent transfer windows have seen the club begin to kick that narrative a bit, adding young players like Iliman Ndiaye, Charly Alcaraz, Tyler Dibling, and Thierno Barry to the mix with opportunities to build them up at a vital time in their footballing lives.
Still, as David Moyes works to figure out how to integrate some of these players, it's a fun exercise to look at how the squad would look if the entirety of the outfield group was made up of those younger players, with a cutoff of 25 years old.
Most of the group isn't even close to the cutoff, save for Ndiaye, who'll turn 26 in a few weeks, while others are years away from 25.
There is also one rule breaker here, although it isn't an outfield player, only because the options in between the posts either don't fit the bill or wouldn't be considered as first-team choices.
Everton possible starting XI with outfield players 25-and-under
Goalkeeper & Defenders
Jordan Pickford (GK): The lone player who doesn't fit in under the age restriction, but it's hard to believe that the Everton no.1 is only going to be 32 in March.
Adam Aznou (LB): Maybe Moyes doesn't like Aznou's defensive acumen at the moment, but he's still very young (he'll turn 20 in June) and dynamic.
Jarrad Branthwaite (CB): He's only 23 (his birthday is in late June), and a nailed-on starter when healthy.
Jake O'Brien (CB): The third oldest on this team (outside of Pickford), he'll turn 25 in mid-May and still hasn't gotten a long run at his natural position.
Nathan Patterson (RB): Like O'Brien, the Scottish international hasn't gotten much of a run since joining Everton. He turns 25 in October.
Midfielders
Tim Iroegbunam (CDM): Probably not a real no.6, something Everton should look to add, but has shown an ability to be excellent in the tackle when disciplined. Not even 23 until the end of June.
James Garner (CM): He signed a new contract to keep him on Merseyside for the long haul, and still only 24 until March 13. Harrison Armstrong (19) and Merlin Rohl (23) could also fit here.
Charly Alcaraz (CAM): He just turned 23 in late November and is a player who drives the ball forward to create effectively (yet somehow is a bit frozen out by Moyes).
Forwards
Iliman Ndiaye (LW): The player who'll age out of this group first is probably its most important player. He'll turn 26 on March 6.
Tyrique George/Tyler Dibling (RW): Either of this pair, assuming George stays after this season, could be an intriguing mix. The Chelsea loanee just turned 20 a little over a week ago, while Dibling will be 20 on March 12.
Thierno Barry (CF): Only 23, the French Youth team international has started coming into his own in the Premier League, although there are still elements of his game that need refining.