Jake O'Brien speaks out after being frozen out by Sean Dyche at Everton
Jake O'Brien has posted on social media about his excitement to return to the Everton fold following the sacking of Sean Dyche on Thursday.
O'Brien, 23, shared a trio of images on his Instagram page (9 January) following his appearance and clean sheet in the 2-0 FA Cup third round win over Peterborough United - just hours after Dyche and four of his staff were dismissed.
Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman took the Toffees side for the tie at Goodison Park, the victory from which secures safe passage to the last 32 of the competition.
The towering defender, who arrived from Lyon in the summer but barely featured under Dyche, said: "Great to be back out there this evening. Up the Toffees."
Jake O'Brien working for Everton chance
Since signing for Everton from Lyon in the previous transfer window, O'Brien has been starved of opportunities.
The 6'6'' centre-half has featured in the Premier League just twice for a combined 36 minutes - the last of those appearances coming late on in the 4-0 pasting by Manchester United on 1 December.
It remains unclear what assurances Dyche gave O'Brien when he arrived, given he had enjoyed a productive campaign in Ligue 1 which even yielded five goals under Pierre Sage.
Admittedly, if there was one area where the dismissed manager truly excelled with his Toffees squad, it was organising a largely resolute defence - and O'Brien was never realistically displacing Jarrad Branthwaite nor James Tarkowski from that system.
The three-cap Irish international will now be looking for further opportunities in the Everton squad and hoping to catch the eye of the incoming successor to Dyche on Merseyside.
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