Those who were present at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night could see that Jarrad Branthwaite’s return instantly brought a new dimension to Everton’s play. With the Blues trailing 1-0 to Leeds United at the break, manager David Moyes made a bold double substitution going into the second half as he brought on a couple of his previously hamstrung stars.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had been in the form of his life before he was cruelly struck down after just 16 minutes on his first return to Stamford Bridge to face previous club Chelsea following his £25million transfer in August. Despite going into the game on December 13 declaring: “I’m confident going against anyone in the Premier League at the moment and it’s a nice place to be,” his injury kept him out for Everton’s subsequent seven fixtures.

Branthwaite hadn’t kicked a ball all season until his introduction after the interval against Daniel Farke’s side. Having signed a new five-year deal with the Blues last July, the England international proclaimed: “with the new stadium we’ve got here, the new ownership and the new manager, it’s an exciting project and it’s something I want to be part of.”

Continue Reading: Branthwaite becomes Premier League's number one in key area on Everton return