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Jarrad Branthwaite admits a last-ditch tackle was his personal stand-out moment after netting a stunning goal in Everton's 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion over the weekend.

Quoted in the Daily Mail, the Blues defender, who is rumoured within the article to be attracting interest from Real Madrid and Manchester United, said: "I probably got even more joy from the tackle on Simon Adingra because he is in on goal and if he gets the ball across, they score from it. My main job is to stop goals."

Speaking on BBC's Match Of The Day, former England defender Micah Richards hailed Branthwaite's attributes and performance at the AMEX Stadium.

“He’s really aggressive," said Richards. "He uses his legs to make the block and then gets back on the line, just in case anything comes his way.

“His all-round play is magnificent. Look at this [his goal] – the first touch and finish. He said in an interview that he needs to score more goals, and that’s exactly what he did.”

Elsewhere, on talkSPORT, journalist Henry Winter has called on the Premier League and commission to announce the result of Everton's appeal against a 10-point deduction as soon as possible.

Speaking live on air during a Sunday show, Winter said: “I think it’s very unfair and it’s slightly casting a shadow over the whole league. There is just confusion down the bottom.”