What The Papers Say - 22 April

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.

The Liverpool ECHO focuses on the fitness of Jarrad Branthwaite after the defender was forced off in the 87th minute of the Merseyside derby.

The centre-back went down in front of the South Stand after giving his all to dispossess Cody Gakpo, with the score tied at 1-1. The 23-year-old then left the field of play on a stretcher, all four corners of Hill Dickinson Stadium rising to applaud the England international.

Joe Thomas writes: “Branthwaite is expected to miss the final weeks of the season with the hamstring injury he suffered against Liverpool, according to reports.

“Branthwaite missed the first five months of this season after suffering a hamstring injury on the eve of the campaign. He suffered a setback that led to him requiring surgery during his recovery and eventually returned in the home draw against Leeds United in late January.

“While he picked up his spot in the Blues backline, scoring in the 3-2 win at Newcastle United, his minutes continued to be managed and he missed the team’s warm weather training camp in Portugal and the narrow defeat at Arsenal before appearing from the bench in the win over Chelsea.

“The most recent international break appeared to help and he started at Brentford and was then impressive against Liverpool on Sunday before crumpling in anguish with the game still 1-1.”

Elsewhere, former Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Sean Davis revealed how close he came to signing for the Toffees on the Undr The Cosh podcast.

The 46-year-old made more than a century of appearances for the Cottagers after graduating from their academy and later won the FA Cup with Portsmouth.

“I regret leaving Fulham, if I’m honest,” said Davis. “I would have loved to have been a one-club man.

“Chris Coleman stitched me up there. He rang me. Everton wanted me at the time. I was going to go, I was moving to Everton. I had a medical and everything, but Chris went, I can’t sell you, the fans would lynch me, you have to put in a transfer request.

“Then I failed the medical at Everton, I had to come back and played Everton six weeks later. I ended up going to Spurs and that was a nightmare.”

Billy Meyers continues: “The man from Clapham was named Player of the Season at Fulham for the 2002/03 Premier League campaign, earning a call into the England squad after that term too, but never making an appearance.

“While Davis ended up having a “nightmare” at Tottenham, it worked out well for Everton.

“Around this period, Leon Osman emerged from the youth ranks, so a move for Davis may have blocked that particular pathway into the senior side for the man who went on to become an icon at Goodison Park.”