Jake O'Brien | Mr Adaptable

In an interview that first appeared in the Official Matchday Programme for the visit of Arsenal, Jake O’Brien sits down to discuss his development and progress under David Moyes, his versatility across the Blues’ backline, life as a father, and being excited for the future with Club and country...

Jake O’Brien cut a very different figure prior to Christmas 2024.

A frustrating start to his Everton career saw him with just 34 minutes of Premier League action under his belt heading into the festive period.

It was somewhat of a comedown – and a mystery – for both supporters and the towering 6ft 6in defender himself, having sealed an exciting switch from French giants Lyon in the summer, but things were about to change – drastically.

A change of manager in mid-January saw David Moyes use O’Brien off the bench in his first match back in charge of the Blues, before a full Premier League debut followed against Tottenham Hotspur four days later.

It saw O’Brien deployed in a new role, one boss Moyes described in those early weeks as a “hybrid” full-back, “sometimes playing as a full-back and sometimes playing a bit further in [centrally]”.

“It’s very different now from where I was 12 months ago,” reflects O’Brien, who featured in 18 of the 19 matches last term following Moyes’ arrival, starting 17 and missing only one through injury. “I’m happy to be part of the team. When you’re not playing, it’s difficult to enjoy it because you don’t feel part of it.

“As long as you’re playing and for me, even if that’s at right-back, then you’re still going to get up to speed with it and keep improving because you’re out on the pitch.
“Of course, eventually I’d love to go back to play centre-back week-in, week-out, but as long as I’m playing, I’m going to be happy.”

The Republic of Ireland international has been hard at work behind the scenes at Finch Farm in a bid to maximise his weapons as a full-back.

Individual sessions with Moyes and Nick Davies, who left Spurs in the summer to become the Toffees’ new Head of Sports Science/Performance, have focused on positioning and agility in order to deal with the Premier League’s notoriously threatening wingers.

“At the start it was more about learning exactly where to be on the pitch because it is different to centre-back,” O’Brien explains. “Then, with Nick [Davies], who has come in, I’ve been doing work on my footwork and having fast feet.

“A lot of that we do in training anyway but then, when we don’t have midweek games, we’ll do our one-to-one sessions as well and that’s been a focus for me.

“Everyone knows my size and I’m coming up against small, tricky wingers, so having fast feet is important, then putting everything together and lots of one-v-one stuff in those scenarios you get in a match.”

The landscape away from football is vastly different, too.

O’Brien and partner, Sophie, became parents for the first time in August, welcoming their son, Greyson, on what became a hectic weekend, with Everton christening their new waterfront home with a 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion the very next day.

“We were actually scheduled to go in after the Brighton game but then Sophie started getting contractions two days before that,” recalls the 24-year-old. “We rang the midwife and had a chat with her. We knew if we didn’t go into hospital then that there would be a chance we’d have to go in during the night and I could have ended up missing the [Brighton] game, so we made the decision to go in to avoid that scenario.

“Thankfully, it all went perfectly. The doctors were brilliant with us and it couldn’t have gone better timing-wise.”

Unsurprisingly, becoming a father for the first time has given O’Brien a new perspective on life.

“It’s a whirlwind, isn’t it?” asks the softly-spoken defender rhetorically. “It’s crazy, really – he’s changing every day, getting bigger and he’s smiling. It’s been great and I’m enjoying it.

“I think it helps with football as well, because when you’re in it, everything becomes football.

“You come home and it can always be on your mind. I think you need something to take you away from that. [My son] definitely does that and being a family does that.”

It's been a change of pace on and off the pitch for O'Brien, who believes the relentless nature of the Premier League compares to no other domestic competition.

“Ligue 1 is a very good league and it has very good players but I think the Premier League is the most intense league in the world," he explains.

“They are different types of football. You can’t compare all of the leagues and each league has its own ways and style, but the Premier League is just ruthless. You don’t get a second to think and the games can feel hectic because the intensity is so high.

“Am I doing anything differently? To be honest, I’m always trying to improve everything, every aspect of my game, always.

“The main thing when you come to this league is you’ve got to be sharper than you’ve ever been before. You have to know what you’re going to do before it happens – that’s how quick it is.

“If you switch off for a second then you’re done, so I’d say sharpness and focus are two big things. You have to be dialled in at all times.”

While predominantly playing as that “hybrid” right-back position, there have been occasions O’Brien has played in his preferred central role.

A rare injury to James Tarkowski at the back end of last campaign opened the door for O’Brien to have a run in the heart of the Toffees’ defence, which included back-to-back wins and clean sheets – against Southampton and Newcastle United – to close out the term.

In early December, a spate of injuries and suspensions meant he was deployed at centre-back for what turned out to be a memorable 1-0 away triumph at Bournemouth, O’Brien starring with a player-of-the-match display as the Toffees recorded their first-ever Premier League win at the Vitality Stadium.

“I was happy to be back in what I suppose I’d call my natural position,” he reflects. “Of course it was pleasing to get the player of the match as well but the biggest thing was winning and, for us as a defensive unit, the clean sheet.

“It felt good playing centrally. It’s more natural to me. Look, I’m 6ft 6in, so it makes sense doesn’t it?!

“But I’m happy to play a part wherever the manager needs me. There is a good feeling around the place at the moment. I think the Club is changing and it’s all very positive.

“We’ve added players who have come in and really made an impact and we just want to keep pushing ourselves right up the table.

"There are plenty of games to go and with the league table so tight, we know there’s an opportunity there for us to go and be right amongst the top teams."

As ever, Everton will be backed vociferously at home and on the road by a fan base that O’Brien admits took him somewhat by surprise after joining the Club last summer.

“I knew Everton has a huge fanbase and you get a sense of it watching on TV,” he says.

“You see the passion they have but it’s only when you get here and experience it that you feel just how deep that passion is and how good the supporters are here.

“It’s great to play in front of them because it means so much to them and they’re passionate about wanting the Club to be better, which is something we all want.”

It’s set to be a significant 2026 for O’Brien, who, as well as hoping to achieve at Club level, has a World Cup playoff against Czechia and – if they overcome that hurdle – Denmark or North Macedonia to look forward to after a stunning wins over Portugal and Hungary in November.

“That was a just a crazy week,” admits Everton’s No.15. “The odds were firmly against us but I think with Ireland, we do better when the odds are against us. We knew we had two games to do it and we pulled it off and everyone saw what it meant to us as players and everyone back home.

“It’s not unlike Everton in that the fans follow us everywhere – when the play-offs were announced, all the flights and hotels were booked up straight away. That’s just what it’s like.

“Obviously, that’s a long way off and my focus is here but it’s something I’m looking forward to, of course. We know we still have a big job on our hands but we want to do what we need to get to the World Cup in the summer.

“It’s a big year for me. Things are definitely looking up and I’m looking forward to 2026.”