What Everton fans did to inspire Jarrad Branthwaite as captaincy pride revealed

Jarrad Branthwaite has spoken of his pride at captaining England under-21s and is out to keep repaying the trust that has been placed in him by Sean Dyche and Lee Carsley.

Branthwaite captained Carsley’s side to a 3-0 victory over Northern Ireland at Goodison Park on Tuesday evening. It was the first time the centre-back had worn the armband for his country.

The centre-back was signed from Carlisle United for about £1 million in January 2020 and had spells on loan at Blackburn Rovers and, last season, PSV Eindhoven, where he won the KNVB Cup.

Reflecting on captaining his country for the first time, Branthwaite told evertonfc.com: “It was definitely a proud moment. To captain England wherever it’s at is a privilege for me.

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“It was a proud moment for me and my family, and especially being at home at Goodison. It made it even more special, so it was a really good night and a great result.

“I think it was a good performance. It shows the quality of the team to make the game look so easy because we dominated the ball, created chances, and scored goals.”

Branthwaite has been a standout performer for his side after being handed his first start of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers back in August. And he is keen to repay the faith shown in him by Carsley and Dyche.

He said: “I remember for the first game I played for Everton this season. It was against Wolves, and there was a big cheer when they read my name out. It was the same again tonight.

“I hope that by performing to the best I can, it will keep repaying the support of the fans. Hopefully, we can be successful for the next