Jake O’Brien handed perfect chance to force Sean Dyche hand at Everton
Jake O’Brien could earn an Everton start from Sean Dyche if he performs well for the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League.
The Boys in Green begin their campaign against England on Saturday 7 September, with the Toffees summer signing included in Heimir Hallgrimsson’s squad.
Ireland then welcome Greece to the Aviva Stadium as they look to kick off the new season on a positive note.
This could provide O’Brien with the perfect opportunity to impress Dyche after failing to feature in the Premier League in the opening three fixtures.
Jake O’Brien set to feature for Republic of Ireland v England
The centre-back signed from Lyon over the summer and is yet to be handed any minutes in the league by his new manager.
He has featured in the EFL Cup against Doncaster Rovers and was able to keep a clean sheet in a 3-0 win.
This didn’t see Dyche trust the Ireland international with any game time in a hugely disappointing late defeat against Bournemouth.
With the 23-year-old now on international duty, where he is likely to start in both games, he has a chance to impress before returning to Goodison.
O’Brien has great physical abilities which will eventually make him an excellent asset in the Premier League but he needs to earn the trust of Dyche.
If he can put in back-to-back positive performances for his country, especially against the Three Lions, there is a chance he could be handed regular minutes in the Premier League as a result.
Indeed, many questions will be asked of under-fire Dyche is he decided against selecting O’Brien come the trip to Aston Villa in a little over a week’s time.
In other Everton news, pressure has been cranked up on Sean Dyche after the start to the season.
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