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Young French striker Boris Mathis could become the forgotten man of a summer transfer window many would like to wipe from their memories.

Unheralded, and largely unheard of, the 20-year-old arrived when still a teenager having been released by FC Metz after only two appearances in Ligue 1.

Chances have been in equally short supply at Everton so much so that in January he moved on loan to lowly League One club Northampton Town.

Given the eye-watering amounts of money spent elsewhere by the club, a free transfer signing for the under-23s squad may be a minor footnote when the inquest is typed up at the end of the season.

Yet Mathis, understood to have been identified by director of football Steve Walsh, is another new arrival who has struggled badly to adapt to life in English football.

There have been shoots of recovery this week, however, as Mathis started a game for the Cobblers for the first time in just under two months after signing and played a part in Northampton’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury.

“His chances have been limited, and before Tuesday he had only made a couple of late substitute appearances in matches where the team was really struggling,” Jeremy Casey, sports editor at the Northampton Echo.

“So there was no way of gauging how good he may be, until Tuesday that is.

“He was given his first start for the club against Shrewsbury Town, and turned in an excellent display.

“He was very lively, stood up to the physicality of the Shrewsbury defenders well, and they were pretty no-nonsense, and also showed plenty of nice touches when he got on the ball.

(Image: Pete Norton/Getty Images)

“He played in a two up front which seemed to suit him, and he did superbly well to help create the Northampton goal.

“He first battled hard to gain possession, and then showed good awareness and nice footwork with three defenders around him to tee up left wing-back Joe Bunney to send in the cross for Shay Facey’s goal.”

Mathis was taken off with 15 minutes to go, handed a standing ovation by the home fans and leaves manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink with a selection dilemma ahead of the weekend’s crunch clash with Fleetwood Town.

“Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink spoke glowingly about Mathis when he signed him, with the player having clearly impressed in training before signing his loan deal,” Casey added.

“But he then seemed to disappear from the scene, and was even left out of match-day squads altogether, which was a surprise with the team in desperate need of goals.

“When Hasselbaink then signed free agent Kevin Luckassen and played him straight away at Bristol Rovers, it appeared Mathis may not have been quite what Hasselbaink wanted when he signed him.

“But after this week I think it has just been a case of Hasselbaink waiting until the player is ready to make an impact, which he did on Tuesday.”

Mathis will return to Everton with 12 months left on his deal but whether he can make an impact at Goodison remains to be seen.

The Blues have struggled in recent seasons when bringing in young forwards from abroad with, for example, Leandro Rodriguez’s return to Uruguay so low key that it wasn’t even announced.

Mathis is still an Everton player but less than a season into his Goodison career it would have been easy to have already forgotten about him.