Garth Crooks stunned by Jarrad Branthwaite in Everton v West Ham as he is compared to greats
Garth Crooks has been left impressed by Jarrad Branthwaite, saying the Everton defender was the “star of the show” during the win over West Ham United.
Sean Dyche’s side ran out 1-0 winners at the London Stadium on Sunday (29 October) thanks to a second-half strike from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, to give the Toffees their third league win of the campaign and extend the gap between them and the relegation zone.
While Calvert-Lewin received plenty of praise for his performance in front of goal, Crooks was keen to credit Branthwaite and Tarkwowski for their effort in defence and he even went as far as to compare the 21-year-old to some of the Toffees’ greats.
Writing in his BBC Sport Team of the Week (29 October) he said: “Everton defended brilliantly and deserved the points but the star of the show was their defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
“This 21-year-old Englishman looks as though he’s come straight off the Everton no-nonsense production line. He may not be a Kevin Ratcliffe but he might be a Mick Lyons.”
Some company
Whether or not you value Crooks’ opinion as a pundit, it is safe to say that he has put Branthwaite in some esteemed company when discussing just how good the young centre-back already is and could be in the coming years at Goodison Park.
However, it is slightly harsh to just describe the 21-year-old as a no-nonsense defender as he showed during the win against West Ham that he is a valuable asset to the Toffees both in and out of possession as it was his ball that led to Calvert-Lewin’s winning goal.
Branthwaite played seven balls into the final third and was accurate with 33 of his passes during the contest and although he showed that he was capable of doing the dirty work at the back, he is so much more than just a no-nonsense centre-half [Fotmob].
Alongside Tarkowski, the Englishman is part of an incredible centre-back duo that leaves everything on the field whenever they step foot on the pitch and Dyche will need that level of commitment from his side over the remainder of the season to secure their safety.
Whether or not Branthwaite will match the standards of Ratcliffe or if he ends up as another Lyons, the Toffees will have yet another excellent defender in their ranks.
In other Everton news, David Moyes has heaped praise on Jordan Pickford for his display against West Ham, labelling him as “key”