JARRAD’S FINE FORM IS SWEET FOR SEAN

JARRAD BRANTHWAITE is a player with big potential – but Sean Dyche insists it won’t make him big headed.

The Everton boss has no fears that the 21-year-old defender will let his rise take away his focus.

Branthwaite has starred for the Toffees this season, leading to a call-up to the senior England squad.

He did not get a chance to feature against Brazil or Belgium, but it was a beneficial experience.

Branthwaite can play his way into the Euros squad if he can continue to impress for Everton, starting today at Bournemouth.

“There won’t be a problem with that,” Dyche said when asked if his rise could go to his head. “He’s come in, hasn’t changed, loads of good reviews and rightly so since he came back (from a loan at PSV), man of the match awards.

“He’s signed a new deal don’t forget, been with the

Under-21s and been pretty steady amongst all that.”

But Dyche does believe Branthwaite (above) can learn from team-mates James Tarkowski and Michael Keane, two Everton players he also managed at Burnley.

Dyche said: “You do want him to change in a positive way, come out of himself more and keep thriving on it, building his own on-pitch persona.

“I had Tarky and Keano when they were young, they started expressing themselves as individuals with the way they play and as leader types.”

Branthwaite’s call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad meant he missed out on more football with England’s Under-21s.

But, after 31 appearances so far this term for the Toffees, Dyche was glad he got a bit of a break from competitive football as the Blues fight for survival in the Premier League.

The Everton boss added: “Some Under-21s haven’t played much football, or Premier League football. It gave him a semi-rest. I would have liked him to have played.

“It’s not a bad thing to get a feel of it, that sense of what it is, getting down to Wembley.

“That feel of it is a very good thing for a young, up-and-coming player, hopefully an England centre-half of the future.”