Wayne Rooney couldn’t have imagined that at age 21, Everton would already have another player breaking his records.

The Toffees may have thought lightning struck twice when John-Paul Kissock first emerged through the youth ranks.

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In 2006, just after Rooney had completed his second season at Manchester United, his boyhood club looked to have another starlet on the same trajectory as the former England captain.

A then 16-year-old Kissock was thrust into the spotlight after breaking Rooney’s record to become the youngest player to appear in Everton’s reserve team.

The two Scousers both grew up in Everton-mad families before joining the Toffees at a young age.

Kissock made such rapid progress that he appeared for the England Under-16s team at just 14 and was with the Under-18s two years later.

“I am quite a shy person, so I didn’t like the limelight,” he told PlanetFootball in 2021 on the media attention he was receiving.

“It was all a bit overwhelming for me at the time, whereas others I was close to who were making a name for themselves, such as Jose Baxter, embraced it.”

Kissock looked to be on the cusp of a senior breakthrough when he found himself around the first-team squad under David Moyes.

The midfielder enjoyed a handful of appearances in pre-season friendlies ahead of the 2008/09 campaign.

At age 18, Kissock was an unused substitute in the opening four games of the campaign but was never handed his competitive senior debut.

Decades later, the now 35-year-old believes his style of play put him out of favour with Moyes’ defensive tactics at Goodison Park.

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David Moyes’ style of play at Everton

“Moyes is what I call a great manager, defensively,” he added. “He likes a bit of solidity, which was not good for me because of the kind of player I was.

“Moyes’ priority was defence first, but I’d try and get it off the back four and make runs to try and create something, and play my game, as Neil and Gary let me do.

“He didn’t like that. I found his way a bit more difficult, and I think he became frustrated with me.”

Everton reached the FA Cup final at the end of the 2008/09 season, but suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Kissock, who had been on the bench in the opening rounds, knew the writing was on the wall after he was left out of the Wembley squad.

He has since admitted he wanted to quit football completely after Moyes broke the news that he didn’t have a future at Goodison Park.

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“I was devastated to leave Everton,” Kissock told the Liverpool Echo. “I have supported them all my life and will always love the club.

“I wasn’t Moyes’ type of player. He doesn’t have many flamboyant players in his side.

“But you can’t argue with what he has achieved at Everton and I wish him all the best. I was on the bench a lot and there were times I thought I might get on.

“However, it never happened and I was gutted to leave. Moyes took me into his office to deliver the news and it was a horrible day, one of the worst experiences of my life.

“When he told me it was terrible. There were uncontrollable tears. I broke down in the dressing room even though I was determined not to.

“I had been at the club for 12 years and it was hard to tell the family, especially my dad. He’s a mad blue and it was a shock.

“Everyone thought I deserved a chance. The most galling thing is not to have played a single game, that’s what I wanted to achieve.

“I didn’t want to play football after that. I just wanted to quit.”

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Kissock’s post-Everton career

After leaving Everton, Kissock enjoyed a four-month stint in the Scottish League for Hamilton Academical.

But he was released at the start of December 2009 and began working for a taxi hire firm.

He resurfaced at Newton of the West Cheshire League after being encouraged by family and friends to give football another crack.

Kissock also turned out for another local side, Formby, before turning out for National League clubs including Southport, Luton Town, Ebbsfleet United and Whitehawk.

In January 2019, the player affectionally known as the ‘Non League Messi’ by Hatters fans made the last move of his career.

He rejoined Whitehawk as a player-assistant manager, but after the pandemic, found work instead with his brother’s property business.

Kissock, who remains an Everton fan, added to PlanetFootball: “I have never been a bitter person, and I had some great experiences.

“It never happened for me at Everton, but I don’t have a bad word to say about anyone there.”