Sean Dyche claims Jarrad Branthwaite will have no problem keeping his head on his shoulders after a taste of senior international football with England and backs him to become their ‘centre half of the future’
- Jarrad Branthwaite will have no problem keeping his head on his shoulders
- He was promoted to the England senior team for the recent international camp
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Jarrad Branthwaite will have no problem keeping his head on his shoulders after a taste of senior international football with England, according to Everton manager Sean Dyche, who has noticed no change in the defender since he was propelled to stardom this year.
The 21-year-old Toffees defender was promoted to the England senior squad for the recent international camp after flourishing at the Under 21 level and wearing the armband. He didn’t play, but Dyche believes the experience can only benefit the youngster.
Branthwaite has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League this season after joining PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands on loan last year, and his strong performances have attracted the attention of the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United.
Asked if he has a role to play in keeping Branthwaite sober, Dyche said: “There won’t be a problem with that. He came in, hasn’t changed, lots of good reviews and rightly so since his return (from PSV), lots of man of the match awards.
‘Don’t forget that he signed a new contract, he played with the Under 21s and has been quite stable in between. But you do want him to change in a positive way, come out of himself more and continue to flourish in that, while building his own character on the field.
Jarrad Branthwaite will have no problem keeping his head on his shoulders after a taste of senior international football with England
The 21-year-old Toffees defender was promoted to the England senior team for the recent international camp after flourishing at the Under 21s and wearing the armband
Branthwaite has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League this season after joining PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands on loan last year
“I had Tarky (James Tarkowski) and Keano (Michael Keane) when they were young (at Burnley), they started to express themselves as individuals with the way they play and then as leadership types.”
Dyche, whose side travel to Bournemouth on Saturday, believes the experience of being around some of the best players in the world for England is better for Branthwaite than playing for the Under 21s.
“Maybe because he has played a lot of football (for Everton),” the Toffees boss added. “Some of the under-21 players haven’t played much football or Premier League football. It gave him half a rest. I would have liked him to play.
‘It’s not a bad thing to get a sense of it, that feeling of what it is, when you go to Wembley. That feeling is very good for a young, emerging player, hopefully an England centre-half of the future.”
