Jarrad Branthwaite is ready for the new season, viewing it as a chance to "kick on" after a year of agony in which successive hamstring injuries decimated a campaign that would otherwise have pushed him towards England's World Cup squad.
After his second start in a week, in Stuttgart, he is growing increasingly confident over his progress towards Everton's Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on August 22. "I'm feeling good," he told the ECHO after leading the Blues out in the MHP Arena. "Coming into pre-season, after the past season, it was about managing my load, managing my minutes. I think between me and the staff we've done that and hopefully that puts me in the best possible shape at the start of the season."
Injury nightmare
Branthwaite feared the worst as he stared into the sky above Hill Dickinson Stadium, after going down injured against Liverpool in April, the prospect of another lengthy setback haunting him as he was applauded off while being carried on a stretcher. Reflecting on that moment, he said: "The bad thing is, I know now. I know what it is at the time because I've done it quite a few times."
He had already missed most of the season after suffering a hamstring injury on the eve of the campaign. A setback weeks later led to the decision to undergo surgery and added months to his rehabilitation.
Branthwaite's return in late January heralded an improvement in form that carried Everton to the cusp of Europe. The 24-year-old was the bedrock of that surge, highlights including his goal in the win at Newcastle United and his role in the thrashing of Chelsea that made Champions League qualification a possibility and wider European qualification appear probable.
Derby heartbreak
That dream ended with Branthwaite pulling up while chasing a ball into the corner late in the second half of the Merseyside derby. It was one of four blows to the Blues' psyche in a game they did not recover from - Iliman Ndiaye's first-half goal had prompted ecstatic, emotion-sapping celebrations before being ruled offside by VAR and, later, Branthwaite and goalscorer Beto both went off injured with the game level but Everton looking comfortable. A Virgil van Dijk winner deep into stoppage time turned a game of promise into one of abject misery.
Branthwaite had been the best player on the pitch before his injury, which was to the same hamstring that had been operated on before Christmas. Everton did not overcome that loss, or his absence, with the derby going on to become the second of seven winless games that saw the side fall into the bottom half of the table once the final ball had been kicked in May.
Of having to watch that form play out from the sidelines, he said: "It is the worst position to be in as a player, when you can't help your team-mates out. It was such a positive season up until the back end of it. To not be able to help them throughout the season, especially at the end of the year, it was tough."
Road to recovery
The season as a whole had been a challenge for the player celebrated as the foundation for Everton's revival when he signed a new contract last summer, as new owners the Friedkin Group funded the first part of what was set out as a multi-year squad rebuild designed to turn the Blues from relegation battlers to a top-half team that could regularly compete for Europe.
"Injuries are always tough," the former Carlisle man acknowledged. "I think last season especially was a very tough season. Mentally, it's not nice and quite a dark place, especially after the Liverpool game. That was really tough to take after working so hard to get back. But I think I have got to put that in the past - injuries are part of the game. Hopefully, my bad luck's gone. I have worked hard and I took time to go over to Germany and seek different opinions, so hopefully that will put me in good stead for the season."
A big part of Branthwaite's recovery has been designed to make him more resilient, the intention being to protect him from recurring hamstring issues. That has included seeking help at the same Munich clinic where Dominic Calvert-Lewin went during his injury crises at Everton. He said: "I have seen different people there, and taken a different approach to things. Hopefully that has put me in a good position. I'm feeling good and, like I said, it's going to be about managing my load a little bit better than I have in the past, me especially, you know, I just want to try and be back as quick as I can. So, I think managing the load and taking care of myself is probably what I need."
That approach has taken some adjustment. Branthwaite accepts he needs to be more tuned into his body and what it needs, including rest. That was not always the case through his stunning emergence, one that made him a centre back coveted across Europe and which took him into the senior England squad in the summer of 2024. Injury also disrupted the opening months of the following season.
Looking ahead
After three starts in Everton's five friendlies to date, Branthwaite is now feeling ready for the upcoming season. And despite the 3-1 defeat on Saturday, his excitement extends beyond his own ambitions and to the club's. He said: "I feel good, so touch wood I can kick on and have a positive season. We’re getting closer to it now. The games we are having in pre-season are setting us up well for the opposition that we're going to face in the Premier League. I'm excited for that first game."
