Jarrad Branthwaite On Everton Being Written Off and Dewsbury-Hall

There was plenty of talk about Everton following the conclusion of the summer transfer window, suggesting that they could be in trouble due to the lack of new additions. 

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has been speaking about answering those critics, the season so far, and the form of his team-mate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. 

Branthwaite believes that Everton were 'written off', in an interview with the Liverpool Echo, but the squad has since shown that they are capable of competing towards the top end of the Premier League table.

It's not been a perfect season for Branthwaite so far, with the odd injury sprinkled in there, but he's certainly in a better position than he was last season. The Everton centre-back has been rewarded for his fine form too, with Thomas Tuchel calling him up to the latest England squad.

Unfortunately, his team-mate Dewsbury-Hall won't be joining him. 

It was certainly a messy summer transfer window. David Moyes was left with just 18 senior outfield players, and the consensus was that the squad would fall apart once a few injuries hit and the fixtures piled up.

So far, Everton have dealt with that, although they've had some luck on the injury front. Thankfully, the Toffees haven't been without a large number of players at a time, but there have been spells without Branthwaite, Jack Grealish, and Vitalii Mykolenko, for example. 

“I think as a group of players and staff it is where we want to be. The ambition at the start of the season was to keep an eye on the cups and for us it is to give that a real good go.

“I think I have said this before but we were sort of written off at the end of the season with the amount of players we had, the squad wouldn’t be big enough to cope, but I think we have shown we can challenge at the top end of the table. I think for us as a group it is to keep that mentality going," said Branthwaite.

Instead of any struggles, Everton head into the international break in sixth position in the Premier League after 10 games, having picked up 16 points. That points average would put Everton on a total of 60.8 points, which, last season, would have seen them qualify for European football.

Branthwaite previously made a similar point following a win over Ipswich in September, suggesting that being written off had given the squad a big boost to prove people wrong. 

As well as their league form, Everton are preparing for a quarter-final clash against Fleetwood Town.

Branthwaite was recently called up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad, but his team-mate Dewsbury-Hall failed to make the cut. Branthwaite knows what it's like to miss out, as he's been far from a regular for his country in recent years. 

Dewsbury-Hall is still waiting for his first England call-up, never mind a cap, but Branthwaite believes that his time will come if he keeps performing the way he has done.

“The England squad is such a high level. There are some great players there. I think Kiernan’s recent performances and the way he has been playing, he has got a real chance to be in that squad. I think he just needs to keep going and he will definitely get his chance.”

Dewsbury-Hall has made it clear that he's not going to give up his England dream. The Everton midfielder has been a key figure for the Toffees since his arrival, and his recent form, in particular, must have caught the eye of Tuchel. 

Branthwaite is proof that if you keep working and prove yourself, you will get the chance with England. James Garner is in a similar position, having featured for England during the last international break and being called up for the latest one.