Jarrad Branthwaite signs new five-year contract with Everton

By PA Sport Staff

Jarrad Branthwaite has signed a new five-year contract with Everton.

The 23-year-old defender arrived at the club from Carlisle in January 2020 and enjoyed loan spells with Blackburn and PSV Eindhoven before breaking into the Toffees’ first team.

Branthwaite made 30 league appearances for Everton last season as they finished 13th in the Premier League table and had been linked with a big-money move away from the club.

“I’m over the moon. It’s been something we’ve been talking about since the end of the season and to get it signed now is something I’m really excited about,” Branthwaite told EvertonTV after signing a new deal that runs until June 2030.

“The trust the club’s put in me and how many games I’ve played over the past two seasons has made it quite an easy decision for me to stay and to keep progressing as a player.

“I know the club. I feel loved by the players – we’ve got a good group here – and the fans. Over the past few years, I’ve seen the impact the fans have on us as a team and how much it means to them. And, obviously, 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.

“Moving to the new stadium together and having that first game at home is something we’re all looking forward to. We want to go again and push for a good season.

“I’ve been at Everton for five-and-a-half years now and I’ve seen the change the club’s had over the past six months.

“It’s very exciting for us as a team, as players, to have that going on in the background and obviously to be starting the new season at the new stadium. The ambition was a huge thing.

“The way the manager wants us to go as a team and what he wants us to do for next season and where he wants us to challenge for has had a big impact on the decision. I think you saw towards the end of last season as a team what we can do.

“The manager has been really good, not only for me but for the group. You saw the change in results, the change in mood since he came in. He drives the demands every day to be better.”

Speaking about Branthwaite’s new contract, Everton boss David Moyes said: “We’re delighted Jarrad has committed his future to us. He is still only 23 and his best years are hopefully still ahead of him.

“We believe he can have a huge role to play in an exciting new era at the football club.”