- Branthwaite targets European qualification during an optimistic new era at Everton.
- The young defender credits David Moyes for restoring confidence at Hill Dickinson.
- Recovering from injury, Branthwaite insists his best football is still to come.
Jarrad Branthwaite has been at Everton for six years. He has seen the lows, the relegation scraps, the points deductions and the off‑field chaos. But standing in the centre of the pitch at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the 23‑year‑old defender feels something different.
“It felt like the beginning of a new chapter heading into this season: a new home, our new owners, the manager beginning his first full season since returning,” Branthwaite said in the Official Matchday Programme for Everton. “I’ve been here for six years and I’ve seen a lot in that time but it all feels genuinely positive right now. Long may it continue.”
Hill Dickinson Stadium has a massive atmosphere
Jarrad Branthwaite has witnessed first‑hand the atmosphere Everton’s new home can generate. The victory over Chelsea was the latest example of the crowd lifting the team.
“You can’t beat the feeling of being out there playing and competing – and there’s no better place to be doing it than here at our new home, Hill Dickinson Stadium,” he said. “We’ve seen in recent games exactly what it sounds and feels like when it really gets going. That can be a hugely powerful thing for us to harness.
“We know when we play on the front foot and get at teams, the fans will be with us. This is an incredible place to play football and together we can turn it into a place where opposition teams dread to come to.”
Branthwaite credits manager David Moyes for restoring Everton’s identity. “He’s been brilliant with me and not only me, the rest of the dressing room as well. He knows what this club means to people, he knows what it takes to be successful and he gives us confidence to go out there and play.”
Jarrad Branthwaite: ‘I’ve never reached my best yet’
European qualification is the clear target for the remaining seven games. Branthwaite believes the squad has the quality to get there.
“We as a collective have made no secret that our goal this season is get back into a European competition. It’s an ambitious one after some tough years but we all believe we have the quality to do so and the target is still there for us as we approach the final part of the season.
“It’s right that we keep looking up now, and keep setting targets that move us forward as a club.”
Beyond this season, Jarrad Branthwaite dreams of ending Everton’s long wait for silverware. “As a player, you think about winning trophies and to be part of a side that ends Everton’s wait for one would be absolutely massive. This isn’t a team or a club that will be fighting against relegation any more, we want success.
“I feel like the way the Club is going, the way the manager is trying to build a team, build an identity, we can definitely achieve that in the next couple of years.”
The centre‑back, who has battled back from a serious hamstring injury this season, insists his best is still to come. “I am 23 years old now and I think I’ve still got loads more to go in terms of my levels. People ask me how far I think I am off my best after the injury but, honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever reached my ‘best’ yet, because I’ve got plenty of years to reach my prime.
“I will keep learning, keep pushing myself and do everything I can to help this team.”
With European football in sight and a young core developing under Moyes, Branthwaite’s optimism feels justified. The new chapter at Hill Dickinson Stadium is only just beginning.
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