Sky Sports journalist shares what he’s heard about James Tarkowski after Everton win v Liverpool
Everton defender James Tarkowski hasn’t been called up for England because his performances are skewed by the amount of defending he has to do, according to Lyall Thomas.
The 31-year-old put in another excellent display as the Toffees ran out 2-0 winners over Liverpool at Goodison Park on Wednesday (24 April) thanks to goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
While the two goalscorers shared the majority of the plaudits, Sky Sports journalist Thomas was quick to heap praise on Tarkowksi’s “monstrous” performance and was left questioning why he hasn’t been called up for the Three Lions.
Writing on X on Thursday (25 April) he said: “Absolute monstrous performance from James Tarkowski last night in the derby. How is he not in the England mix? Heard arguments that his strong data is skewed because Everton spend more time defending.
“And? Isn’t that what you want heading into a Euros? Practice!?”
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Branthwaite has rightly been the centre of most pundits and supporter’s attention so far this season as he continues to impress in his breakthrough Premier League season, but Tarkowski has arguably been just as important alongside him.
The stand-in skipper in Seamus Coleman’s absence has stood up for his side both on and off the field consistently to help lead them through what has been one of the most difficult seasons in the club’s history.
His performance as Goodison on Wednesday was as close to perfect as it could have possibly been as he seemed to win every challenge and come out on top of every duel. He may not be as nice on the eye as Branthwaite, but he has been superb this term.
Hopefully, the defender’s performances will be recognised with some international recognition this summer. It is hard to argue that his less deserving of a call-up than the likes of Harry Maguire or Ezri Konsa, especially as he has had to do so much defending.
In other Everton news, Danny Murphy has heaped praise on “fantastic” Toffees forward Calvert-Lewin for what he did against Liverpool
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