David Moyes has made a strong case that Jarrad Branthwaite doesn’t need to leave Everton to secure his place in the England squad.
The young talent, who is being linked with a move to Liverpool, was overlooked for Thomas Tuchel’s first Three Lions selection. Instead, the manager opted for 32-year-old Dan Burn, who played a key role in Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool before the international break.
Tuchel also included Jarell Quansah in his squad, despite the Liverpool defender only two Premier League starts this season. Sky Sports reported after Branthwaite’s England omission that the player was contemplating his future at Everton. It’s believed the club is expecting more interest from rival teams following Manchester United’s unsuccessful bids last summer.
Rather than joining the full England squad, Branthwaite played for the Three Lions’ U21s team, managed by former Everton player Lee Carsley. The 22-year-old, tied to the club till 2027, has re-joined the squad at Finch Farm with an eye on starting in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
But when it comes to whether Branthwaite must leave Everton to play regularly for England, Moyes cites a trio of his former proteges alongside a notable English keeper to argue otherwise.
“(If he felt that) I would say to him – Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines and Joleon Lescott,” said the Everton boss. “That’s three who we brought in who went on to become internationals for England, which was a great achievement.
(Image: Emma Simpson/Everton FC Official Photography Library/SmartFrame)
“And I think Jarrad is in the position that he can easily go on and do that. I think it’s a challenge for Jarrad to pick it up and say, ‘Come on, let me show what I can do’. I think this club has developed a number of internationals over the years and we’ve got a very good goalkeeper playing for England as well.”
Moyes was indeed alluding to Jordan Pickford, whose impressive tally of international clean sheets surpassing Gordon Banks elevates his status amidst England’s goalkeeping legends, tying him with David Seaman and Joe Hart for caps, trailing only behind Peter Shilton’s monumental 125-cap record for the Three Lions.
Pickford and Idrissa Gueye have been Everton’s standout performers this season, with the latter expressing a keen interest in staying on as his contract nears its end. David Moyes commended the 35-year-old midfielder’s impact, remarking: “I’ve only been here a few months working with him but he’s been terrific in the games, he plays younger than what he is. I understand how well he’s done.
“We won’t be making any decisions on contracts until we’re mathematically safe. We’ll have a look at all that when we get to that point.”
Everton’s recent form has seen it go nine league games unbeaten, placing it 17 points clear of the drop zone.
