Everton prospect Jarrad Branthwaite has been singled out by Tony Mowbray for praise after enjoying a promising debut with Blackburn Rovers.
The Carlisle-born 18-year-old joined the Championship side on loan last week in order to enjoy more regular senior minutes, and he looked accomplished and commanding on his debut for Rovers.
The Lancashire side enjoyed a solid performance at Ewood Park as they ground out a 1-1 draw with Stoke City. The stalemate saw Branthwaite deployed straight into the starting lineup in a defensive back four which also featured Namibian prospect Ryan Nyambe and on-loan Leeds man Barry Douglas.
A report from the Liverpool Echo noted some promising statistics which suggest that the youngster looks destined to impress. The teenager won three aerial duels and three tackles, as well as making two interceptions and three clearances against the Potters over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch.
Considering his lack of top-level experience and young age, the statistics paint an impressive picture. Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray seemed to agree, given his high praise for the promising talent [via Liverpool Echo]:
I thought Jarrad was very steady today. As a young kid, who reminds me a lot of [Scott] Wharton to be honest.
He just does his job, plays his position, wins his headers. We’ve got to remember he’s an 18-year-old boy but I thought he was steady today and that’s all I would ask of him every week.
A seven or eight out of ten every week. Win your headers, play forward passes and just do you job as it says on the tin and I thought he done that very well today.
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Branthwaite’s influential defensive ability means that both Blackburn and his parent club could have a real gem on their hands.
Mowbray was right to call for caution; the 18-year-old requires careful nurture so soon into his fledgling career, but there is plenty of cause for optimism.
If he can keep up such a high calibre of performance in the long run, expect to see him as an Everton regular in years to come.
