The story of Newcastle's lost £6m talent who now faces 'crossroads' ahead of transfer decision

Lewis Gibson was one of the jewels of Newcastle United's academy setup when he was lured away by Everton. The Magpies were powerless to prevent the teenage defender from leaving in the summer of 2017 in a deal worth up to £6m.

Gibson snubbed interest from Tottenham in favour of a switch to Merseyside, outlining his hope of following the first-team pathway recently taken by the likes of Tom Davies and Jonjoe Kenny. Five years on, the now 21-year-old is yet to make his competitive senior debut with Everton and faces a career 'crossroads' with his contract due to expire this summer.

The former Newcastle prospect enjoyed an impressive debut campaign with the Toffees, and was briefly named the U23s captain at the age of just 17 by David Unsworth. However, injuries have stalled the centre-back's progress and loan spells at Fleetwood Town, Reading and current club Sheffield Wednesday have failed to deliver the desired regular first-team action.

There is still plenty of time for Gibson to rediscover the trajectory which made him the subject of a multi-millon pound transfer tussle as a teenager. However, the defender is facing an uncertain summer and could be forced to assess his options should the Toffees decide to cut their losses.

Gibson rise to prominence came during Newcastle's run to the quarter-final stage of the FA Youth Cup during his final season in black-and-white. The defender's form earned him a place in the England U17s side which reached the final of the 2017 European Championships, and went one better at the World Cup later that year.

Former Newcastle under-23s captain Owen Bailey was Gibson's defensive partner during this cup run. The Gateshead midfielder has revealed how a physical transformation during the