Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray is backing Jarrad Branthwaite to recover after the Everton loanee struggled badly in last week’s 2-1 defeat to Preston North End, as he told LancsLive.
The former Carlisle United youngster is no stranger to bouncing back.
Branthwaite gifted Wolves a goal just seconds into his Premier League debut for the Toffees last term but didn’t let a nightmare introduction to the top flight knock his confidence.
The teenage centre-back came back stronger and, by the end of the season, was a regular at the heart of Carlo Ancelotti’s backline.
Branthwaite will need to show similar resolve if he is to prove the doubters wrong at Blackburn too.
The England U19 ace was bullied by Preston targetman Ched Evans during Friday’s disappointing defeat to their Lancashire neighbours, struggling notably with the physicality of an unforgiving league.
But Mowbray is placing plenty of confidence in a youngster who played week in, week out in the fourth-tier at the age of just 17.
“I’m sure there were bigger, stronger and tougher centre forwards in League Two than Ched Evans – and he has to get on with his job,” the former Celtic manager said.
“We like him, he does what it says on the tin most weeks. He had an uncomfortable evening and he has to bounce back and show us what he’s done in the other games.
“He’s a young boy and I have no fears, I don’t sit here worrying about him.
“I was a young, 18-year-old centre half playing in a first-team and having good games, indifferent games, brilliant games, and he’s an 18-year-old boy learning his trade and as he goes on he’ll go up and down.
“The secret to staying in the Premier League is to keep his performance level high and see if he can find that as his marker – Premier League football.”
You won’t find many players who are the finished article at just 18 and you would imagine that the requisite physicality will come with time for Branthwaite.
For now, the Everton loanee’s class and composure marks him out as a real talent for the future.
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