The three best Everton players who never got an England call-up, following Jarrad Branthwaite’s news today

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With the news that Jarrad Branthwaite has been called up to the England squad broken, Everton can feel immensely proud.

It marks a glowing endorsement of their sparkling recruitment, which picked up the 21-year-old as an unknown from Carlisle United, developing him into the capable Premier League star that he is today.

Now set to become a full England international too, his value only continues to skyrocket.

But his call-up actually marks a surprise, given that over the years the Toffees have played host to some outstanding stars never to be chosen for their national side.

Here, we seek to outline three outstanding names who never even earned a cap for England.

Howard Kendall

Well, this was the outstanding one. A true national crime.

Howard Kendall was a brilliant player for Everton, and yet would somehow eclipse his accomplishments when later becoming a manager.

But, across his 18-year career on the pitch, he thrived in the midfield, even becoming a mainstay in the Toffees’ most famous trios: the Holy Trinity.

He, Colin Harvey and Alan Ball were unstoppable, and the late Kendall even earned the captain’s armband for a number of years too.

His dismissal from the England setup is widely regarded as one of the biggest tragedies of the time, and to this day he remains one of the best never to win a cap.

Andy King

A goalscoring midfielder who earned just two caps for the England U21s, Andy King was a man consistently snubbed by the national team across two stints with Everton.

His first, between 1976 and 1980, saw him make a name for himself as a skilful enforcer who even notched the winner in the Merseyside derby.

Later returning just two days later, after a stint with West Bromwich Albion and in Sweden, he enjoyed quite the career, eventually retiring with Southport.

But, at his peak, King’s talents would have surely shone on the international stage.

Derek Mountfield

Another criminally underrated player, Derek Mountfield enjoyed a golden spell at Everton in which he completed the league and European cup double in 1985.

In fact, it was during that season where he notched double figures from centre-back, yet was again snubbed by the national side.

Going on to play for Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 61-year-old was a top stopper of his time, who went woefully underrated by England.