Branthwaite says one Everton teammate has been ‘a great influence’ on his development

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Everton have built their newfound success on numerous pillars, all of which are combining to offer stability all across the pitch.

That trait is something which has been sorely lacking in recent years, with Farhad Moshiri arguably the picture of instability as he has persisted with making laughable decisions that have further plunged the club into disrepute.

Only now, as they stare down the face of a landmark punishment fresh off the back of a second consecutive relegation battle, have they found some semblance of continuity and comfort, all owed to Sean Dyche.

He is the first manager in a long time to enter Goodison Park and see it for what it was, not what it could be. Naturally, the 52-year-old will want to build long-term success in Merseyside, but he realised that it was first about plugging the gaps and changing the narrative.

As the man to implement those pillars, he would likely be the first to admit that he initially rushed to add solidity. As an area he boasts particular success in, it only made sense, especially given he was gift-wrapped the perfect partnership of James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite.

The two feed off one another so well, with the latter now praising his ageing teammate for his role in his development: ‘You improve by playing games. The more games you play, the more real match experience you get. 

‘Since I came into the side earlier this season, James Tarkowski has been a great influence and I have learned a lot from him. I obviously train every day with great players but when you’re in that match situation it’s very different. Learning on the job is always the best way to develop because you need to be instinctive, but also believe in what you know and what the manager tells you.

‘I believe there’s much more to come but we’re all taking it one game at a time.’

How good is Jarrad Branthwaite?

Having only really emerged into the first-team as a regular this season, it is impressive the speed with which the 21-year-old titan has acclimatised to the Premier League.

However, it almost seemed destined to happen, given he had been blessed with the perfect physical assets to thrive, and had just enjoyed a fine loan spell honing his technical qualities with PSV Eindhoven.

Since displacing Michael Keane, the Everton youngster has been rock solid at the back, and whilst comfortable in possession, he remains mature enough to clear his lines when necessary.

This shows up in the data, as he is averaging 5.1 clearances and 7.5 ball recoveries per game in the league, via Sofascore.

Placing this kind of dominance beside the already-immense Tarkowski, and it is no wonder the two are thriving. After all, the mutual respect they share is there for all to see, with the £100k-per-week star having lauded his protege on many occasions now.