Jake O’Brien takes subtle dig at Sean Dyche after Everton revival under David Moyes

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Everton defender Jake O’Brien is a player who could have a radically different second half of the season than first.

The Republic of Ireland international joined Everton from Lyon last summer, and fans had high hopes for him.

At £17 million (Sky Sports), he didn’t come particularly cheap, and the price tag perhaps suggested he would see a fair bit of involvement.

But O’Brien barely got a look in under former manager Sean Dyche.

In the Premier League, he played just 34 minutes across a couple of appearances, with James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite the preferred pairing.

In their defence, they have both been very consistent this season and have contributed to several clean sheets.

But O’Brien has now been given more chances by new manager David Moyes, and the 23-year-old has been reflecting on his first term at Goodison Park.

• READ MORE: Everton’s Jake O’Brien reveals key difference between David Moyes’ style of play compared to Sean Dyche’s

Jake O’Brien admits frustration over game time in first season at Everton in subtle dig at Sean Dyche

O’Brien has now started the last three Premier League games for Everton, with the Toffees winning all of them.

Moyes has brought O’Brien in at right-back, but he has also tucked in at times in what has been a kind of hybrid position.

O’Brien has come in for plaudits from fans, and Pat Nevin believes now Everton look more of a force with O’Brien in the team.

It must be a good feeling for O’Brien to finally be getting a run in the team, and it’s clear how he felt about not playing under Dyche.

He told evertonfc.com: “It was a frustrating start to my time here – not playing.

“I would like to have played more but there’s a whole half-season ahead and hopefully I can get more games and more minutes on the pitch, and we can start moving up the table.

“I think I’ve got attributes some players don’t have and there’s something new I can bring to the team. I know I haven’t played in the Premier League before, but I’ve played at a high level, and I know what it takes. My style of play can bring different approaches to the team and fresh ideas.”

O’Brien was woefully underused by Dyche

Watching how well O’Brien is doing now under Moyes, it is such a shame that he hardly featured beforehand.

It is somewhat understandable that O’Brien didn’t play much due to Tarkowski and Branthwaite.

But to have gotten only 34 minutes in the Premier League before Moyes’ arrival is really disappointing.

But O’Brien looks set to enjoy a much more productive second half of the season.

Moyes recently praised O’Brien and it’s clear he’s a player the Scot rates. And it’ll be ideal for him to get a lot of involvement in the coming months, because it could be that Branthwaite is sold for big money in the summer.