Micah Richards begs Gareth Southgate to select Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite following his ‘amazing’ performance against Chelsea.

On Sunday 10 December, the Toffees won 2-0 at Goodison Park, due to second-half goals from Abdoulaye Doucoure and Lewis Dobbin, helping Sean Dyche’s side move four points clear of the relegation zone.

While the Toffees’ attacking players earned the majority of the praise from fans and analysts alike, Richards was blown away by Braithwaite’s performance at the heart of Everton’s defense, admitting he may go to the “very top.”

He commented on Match of the Day 2 (10 December, 1:01:30): “We’re not blessed with great center-halves at the moment, I just thought he was absolutely outstanding, if he keeps this up, he’s going to the very, very top.”

“He slips here, and has he got the recovery pace? Of course he has in the Premier League against Broja.” You always want your center-back to have solid positioning, and he has it at the age of 21. The covering round is flawless, and these are only the minor details.

“This is top defending, you see the celebration, you see what it means to him and I’m excited about him, I really am.”

Some participant

While the focus of Sunday’s game will be on how bad Chelsea were once again, more attention should be paid to how wonderful Everton were once again and the incredible work that Dyche is doing at Goodison Park.

The outstanding defensive performances of James Tarkowski and Gareth Branthwaite in particular have been the foundation of this season’s upturn in form and fortunes, with the partnership rising from strength to strength with each passing week.

Branthwaite has been a revelation at the heart of the defense, and the 21-year-old should be considered when Southgate chooses his group for the Euros next year. Few English defenders routinely perform at such a high level, especially in the Premier League.

In an extraordinarily good defensive performance, the 21-year-old won seven of his nine duels and three of his four attempted tackles. Branthwaite deserves all of the praise he’s earned, and if he continues up his current pace, he’ll rise to the top, just as Richards prophesied.