When a 15-year-old kid with a four barreled surname met then-Watford youth team manager Darren Sarll on his first day at the club’s academy, you can imagine the reaction.
In an interview with The Athletic, published in August 2019, the now-Yeovil Town manager is described as recalling the moment “with a smile“.
That player was Sonny Blu Lo-Everton who has become the Glovers’ boss’ latest signings after joining on loan from Watford until January.
In The Athletic article, Sarll recalls inviting the young Scot to join his academy side in some hard running: “I remember after the third run of six I said to him ‘Come out, you’ve done enough, that’s enough for you,’ but refused and said ‘No, no, no I want to do what they’re doing.’
“Straight away he endeared himself to me because at 15 he gave a grown up answer — a big boy answer.
“He had his trainers on and I hadn’t seen him kick a ball but you get a scent of anticipation when you get a young player like that who reacts so maturely, so I was looking forward to seeing this lad with the ball at his feet.”
Having seen the youngster with football boots – as opposed to trainers on – Sarll described him as “the most intelligent footballing brain” who was “ridiculously balanced for a smaller player” with “great awareness of what was around him”.
The boss added: “He works hard, he tackles when he has to tackle, he confronts when he has to confront. But he’s got a real balance and awareness that says ‘you’re going to have to be really clever and sharp if you want to catch me’.”
The article goes on to quote Sonny’s father, Johnnie Everton, describing Sarll as “a proper friend” as well as confirming he named his son after “a bright blue sky” rather than anything to do with Chelsea, where he has been a season ticket holder since the 1970s.