Everton picked up a point against Aston Villa thanks to a late goal from Theo Walcott. The Toffees needed some sort of a reaction after their 3-0 hammering at Wolves last weekend, but it wasn’t enough for a win.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side suffered an early setback when Mason Holgate went down injured after 16 minutes. Young Jarrad Branthwaite came on for the Englishman and had an impressive game.
The young defender came on against Wolves as well and a mistake in his very first minute cost the Toffees a goal. That would certainly have been on his mind, which is never a good thing, but he managed to put up a fine display for his side.
Ancelotti was delighted with the young defender’s performance. The Everton boss was very impressed with Branthwaite and predicted a massive future for him at Goodison Park in the years to come.
He told Everton TV: “I am really happy with him, he is really young, a kid. But he showed quality and personality and character. He is really calm with the ball, really comfortable, and really aggressive without the ball.”
“He can be a fantastic player for us. The squad is really young but to compete we have to improve quickly.”
Still only 18, Branthwaite can become a massive player for Everton in the coming years. With Yerry Mina and Holgate struggling with injuries, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the young defender start the final two games of the season, which would be brilliant for him.
Everton are on the market for at least one new centre-half, if not two. The Toffees have just three experienced central defenders at the moment, but if Branthwaite impresses in the next two games, he could save the club millions this summer.
Playing Branthwaite at centre-half will also allow Ancelotti to play Holgate further up in midfield. That could potentially solve two problems for Everton without spending a single penny in the transfer window, something that Marcel Brands would love this summer.
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