Fraser Hornby reveals unanswered Everton question after career-changing exit

Fraser Hornby admits he still does not know why his opportunities at Everton ended so quickly, although the striker believes leaving Goodison Park ultimately transformed his career.

Now 27 and playing for Wolfsburg, Hornby has reflected on a journey that has taken him through France, Belgium, Scotland and Germany since leaving Everton permanently in 2020.

His entire senior Everton career consisted of one appearance, despite believing he was ready to make the step into first-team football.

Hornby progressed through Everton’s academy after arriving from Northampton and received his senior opportunity against Apollon Limassol in the Europa League.

He had initially expected to be on the bench, with Everton rotating ahead of a Merseyside derby against Liverpool. An injury to Sandro Ramirez during the final training session suddenly changed those plans.

“For a young player like me, it was a really great experience,” Hornby recalled in an interview with Wolfsburg’s official channels.

However, another Everton appearance never followed.

After completing a full pre-season with the senior squad, Hornby believed he was ready for more opportunities.

“There could be many reasons for that,” he said when discussing why they never arrived. “I don’t know the exact answer myself.”

Rather than remaining exclusively in Everton’s youth setup, Hornby decided he needed senior football and moved to Belgium on loan.

Looking back, he considers that decision one of the most important of his career.

“The move opened up many new opportunities for me in European football – and I haven’t returned to England since,” he explained.

Hornby eventually left Everton permanently for Reims in 2020 and later represented Aberdeen and KV Oostende on loan before joining Darmstadt in 2023.

He scored 25 goals and registered 11 assists across 64 appearances during his three years with Darmstadt, performances which earned him a €4million move to Wolfsburg this summer.

Hornby may never receive a definitive explanation for why his Everton opportunity disappeared, but leaving Merseyside ultimately created a career path he believes would otherwise never have existed.

Hornby is now beginning another Bundesliga chapter with Wolfsburg after his productive spell at Darmstadt.

His Everton experience remains an unanswered question, but the striker clearly has few regrets about choosing regular senior football and building his career away from England.