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Evertons Jarrad Branthwaite thrilled with England call up and says England plan on going all the way in Nations League
St. George’s Park
UK
St. George’s Park
UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00I'm friends with Jarrod Branthwaite, as ever we'll take the first section live and at the end we'll have a
00:04short second embargoed until 10.30pm this evening.
00:07We'll start with two questions each, I'm sure we'll get time to come back with you for more at the
00:10end, but just make sure we get a fair spread across the room.
00:13So, Robert, you get us underway?
00:16Jarrod, great to see you. And huge congratulations, mate, with everything you've been through in the last season and a
00:20bit with injuries.
00:21I mean, it was obvious how devastated you were back in April when that hamstring went again and he had
00:28to be helped off.
00:29Does that make an England recall even more special for you? And what does it mean for you to play
00:35for England?
00:37Yeah, definitely. I think, like you said, when I went off with the injury, I was devastated after the amount
00:43of times I've, you know, came back from it and then for it to happen again.
00:47So I think, like you said, to be called up back to the England squad means everything for me.
00:51And I think all the hard work that's went in the rehab and to get back to this point, it
00:56makes it worthwhile.
00:56And I mean, I'm just buzzing to be back in England, so.
01:00I mean, you've done it before, but is it still very special to pull on that England shirt?
01:03Yeah, 100%. Every time, you know, you see your name on the list, it's a pleasure.
01:08And, you know, I'm thankful I get this opportunity to play for England.
01:13And, like I said, all the hard work that went in through them, rehab and throughout the season, to get
01:18me to this point, it's been worthwhile.
01:20I assumed you watched the World Cup, along with the rest of us.
01:23Some magnificent performances and some great highs and, you know, one particular huge low as well.
01:29What did you make of, you know, the winning in the Azteca in Mexico, which was extraordinary.
01:34Never say anything like it.
01:35And then that semi-final defeat against Argentina.
01:37As a viewer, what was the overall impression?
01:40Yeah, I think, you know, looking from the outside, the lad's done an unbelievable job.
01:44I think when you talk about the Mexico win and the result there.
01:51And then, obviously, with football, you get highs and you get lows.
01:55And, obviously, to come off on the wrong side of the result with Argentina, it was obviously a big low
02:00for the team.
02:00But I think, you know, the way they performed and, you know, the circumstances they came up against, they did
02:07an unbelievable job.
02:08So, yeah, praise to them.
02:11Hi, Gerard.
02:12After a major tournament, there's always a refresh of the squad.
02:15You've spoken about the injuries now.
02:16You're in this squad after a major tournament.
02:18So, do you feel like this is the perfect time for you now to cement your place regularly as an
02:23England international?
02:24Yeah, I think every time you get the opportunity, you've got to show the best account of yourself.
02:30To give yourself the best possible chance to be in the squad and in the team for the future.
02:34So, I think, you know, that starts with every training session, every chance you get to step on the pitch.
02:39To show the best account of yourself.
02:40And hopefully, I can do that.
02:42What has the manager said to you?
02:43As he said, he's been watching you for a while.
02:45Would have called you up before if it's not for the injuries.
02:47And what's he said to you about these games and this longer block as well?
02:51Yeah, I think his main message is just to come in and be yourself and express yourself.
02:57And, you know, the quality you have and bring it to the squad, essentially.
03:00I think, you know, the quality in the England team, it's very high.
03:04And you just need to come in and be yourself and show what you can do.
03:07I think we all do.
03:08Gary.
03:09Gary Brown, Biansport.
03:10Nice to meet you.
03:12Could you talk to me about this remarkable season for you?
03:15You are top in terms of blocks in the Premier League now.
03:19You've really struggled with injury at the past.
03:21I would like to ask you specifically about the meeting you sat down and had with David Moyes about the
03:27injuries you were having.
03:28And you asking them to go away and find a different approach that led to these brain, your tropics.
03:34Yeah, I think, you know, when something like that happens three or four times, you've got to sort of reassess
03:40what's going on.
03:42And I think, you know, as a club, we sat down and it was probably his idea more than anything
03:48was to go and have a look elsewhere at different things.
03:51And I think we came to the approach.
03:53We found someone in Germany when we went there and I was there for three or four weeks and just
03:59looking at a different approach to the body, a holistic approach to the body, essentially.
04:03And fingers crossed, it's put me in a good position.
04:06How much faith has it given you in your body and from a real, from this side sitting down?
04:12Can you tell us exactly what you, what brain work you did and how it helped you learn more about
04:20your body and stabilize and strengthen it?
04:22I think, you know, when I was away, it's a completely different approach.
04:28You don't just look at the hamstring as such, you look at everything, the way you move and how your
04:33brain works and how it functions at different times under fatigue and things.
04:36And I think that was a big thing was, you know, especially going into pre-season, how my, I've sort
04:41of been managed through pre-season to give myself the best possible chance
04:44and build my minutes up to when I come to the start of the league that I'm ready and fit
04:48and I've played, you know, a certain amount of 90 minutes and my body knows that it can cope with
04:52that.
04:53And as a club, they've done a really good job with me over the summer to do that and put
04:56me in the best possible prison.
04:58And as a left-footed footballer, you fit a profile that England have really been lacking in some areas.
05:05What did Thomas Tuchel say to that, about that specifically?
05:10Yeah, like I said before, I think it was just coming in and, you know, expressing yourself and showing what
05:15you can do, essentially.
05:16And I haven't been around the England camp an awful lot in the past couple of years with the injuries.
05:21So, like I keep saying, it's just coming in and giving myself the best possible account and see what that
05:26takes me.
05:27There's a Joel and then Henry.
05:29Hi, Jared.
05:30So, Thomas Tuchel has said that he obviously appreciates the fact that, you know, you've got a really good left
05:35foot and your ability to build up from the back.
05:37Yes, you said that you have to come in and be yourself, as you've spoken about, but what other skills
05:42do you think you bring to this current team that nobody else has?
05:47Yes, I think, you know, when my defensive ability, you know, blocking 1v1 duels and things like that, I think
05:56is a real strong point in my game.
05:58And I think also speed for balls and behinds are a big part of my game as well.
06:02So, I think something around those lines, yeah.
06:05Obviously, we can see the confidences back now.
06:07Would you see yourself as a leader now at Everton, which has helped you to get back into this squad?
06:13Yeah, over the summer, we had a conversation with the manager and we had a big leader leave us over
06:21the summer there.
06:21So, it was about sort of getting another group together to become leaders and help the team.
06:28And I think, you know, there's a couple of us that have sort of grown into that role.
06:32It takes time, but hopefully I can start to become a bit of a leader, yeah.
06:37Hi, Jared.
06:38Henry Winter.
06:38So, you've played under managers like Stephen Presley, Gareth Southgate, who else, Sean Dyche and David Moyes, centre-backs like
06:48that.
06:48Have you learnt anything from them?
06:49Did they give you any specific one-on-one?
06:53I think the biggest thing, the credit I can give them is, you know, when I had their managers, I
06:57was still very young and they gave me the opportunity to play games and play football.
07:02And I think for a young player, the best thing to do is to play as many games as you
07:07can and you learn on the job, essentially.
07:10You know, they do give you one-to-one little things that you can do, but ultimately it's about you
07:15in a game and game scenarios.
07:17And I think that's the best credit I can give them, the game and the opportunity to play games.
07:20And which centre-backs did you watch of Clip Sol for, particularly of Mar?
07:25I think when you look across, you know, the whole of the Premier League, especially recently when you're playing against
07:31Premier League opposition, you see the quality of centre-backs in the league.
07:35You can take things from every team, you know what I mean?
07:39Every team's got centre-backs with different attributes which you can take stuff from.
07:42So, like I said, when you're looking in the Premier League, it's such a high-quality league.
07:46There's always things you can learn.
07:49You've obviously played in high-stakes games before yourself through your career.
07:53Can I just ask about that Argentina game?
07:55Obviously, there's lots of debate around whether England were too defensive the way to protect their lead.
08:00Do you think it's a natural thing as a player, obviously, having experienced similar in cup games and when you've
08:05had to protect a lead,
08:07do you feel they were too defensive or is it a natural thing to do?
08:10I think from my circumstance, I think there's a prime example when I played this weekend when you've got a
08:16lead
08:16and you're sort of, you know, you're not holding on to it, but it's just a natural thing to go
08:21defensive.
08:22But I think, like I said, it was one of them things where if it worked out, then, you know,
08:28it wouldn't be the question.
08:28But, yeah, like I said, I think it might be a natural thing.
08:32I can only take from my own account, especially at the weekend.
08:35We went 1-0 up and we sort of sat back, so I think, like you say, it could be
08:38a natural thing.
08:40Jess?
08:40Hi, Jarrod.
08:41You're in, obviously, the long list for the last Euros when you had your only cap today.
08:46But you just talk a little bit about that experience of your debut and then, I don't know,
08:51did you feel you had a chance and how disappointed you were to miss out
08:54or did you sort of think it was a long shot at the time?
08:57Yeah, that was, yeah.
08:59It was, obviously, when I got my debut and it was the camp before the Euros.
09:05I thought throughout the season I gave a good account of myself to be in with a good chance
09:09and, you know, I was rewarded by being in that squad before the Euros, which was a big pleasure, you
09:14know.
09:14And, yeah, it probably came as, not as a shock, but it was one of the 50-50 decisions, you
09:20know,
09:20and at the end of the day, that's what football was about.
09:23And probably looking back, it helped me in a way because I had a little bit of an injury back
09:28then,
09:28which could get sorted, so it was probably a blessing in disguise.
09:32When you see, obviously, the team went on to reach the final of the last Euros World Cup semi-final
09:36this time,
09:37do you feel that England generally are on the cusp of finally getting over the line and winning something?
09:43Yeah, 100%.
09:45Like you say, if you look at the last few tournaments, of course, and how they've came to success,
09:51I think it's only a matter of time before we start to reach that, yeah.
09:56John, I wanted to ask you about Jordan Pickford because you know him better than most.
10:0119 World Cup appearances, he broke that record while he was out in the US,
10:04more than any other England player in history.
10:08Does he get the credit he deserves?
10:12Probably not, no.
10:13I think you see the amount of times he's played for England,
10:16the amount of times he's played in major tournaments,
10:18and the performances he puts in, he probably doesn't get the credit he deserves.
10:21He's a fantastic keeper and a fantastic person as well.
10:25I think playing with him at club, it's a pleasure to play with him.
10:29Obviously, when he's put on an England shirt every time,
10:31he gives himself the best possible account of himself.
10:34Like I say, he's been top for England and top for club as well.
10:37Also, whilst there's a debate supposedly going on at the moment
10:41about how important it is to play for England
10:42and whether some of the players that have withdrawn have maybe...
10:45and there's no suggestion at all that they're not injured, by the way,
10:48but there has been some discussion about how important it is to play for England
10:52and whether that's an issue between club and country.
10:56Jordan's never given that impression.
10:57You know exactly from the start just how much it means for him to play for his country.
11:01Yeah, 100%. I think it's the same for all players.
11:03I think all players are fully committed to playing for England.
11:07I can speak for myself how much of a privilege it is to be in the England squad
11:11and to represent England, so I think it'll be the same for all players.
11:14I'll finish his section with Kerry.
11:17You said that you learnt a lot from the England players in your role,
11:20but TikTok's betrayed you a bit
11:22because apparently your first hero was Sergio Ramos.
11:26Is that true?
11:27And what was it that you loved about the way he played
11:31as you go potentially to face space?
11:34Yeah, I think just when I was growing up,
11:36I used to watch the Real Madrid Barcelona games
11:39and how big of a leader he was
11:42and the type of defender he was, aggressive defender,
11:45and he scored lots of goals as well.
11:46So he had an all-around game.
11:47So I think when I was watching him, when I was younger especially,
11:51it was probably a good person to base your game off,
11:55to be an all-around defender.
11:57And Thomas Tuchel has said to us, came out and said,
12:00the aim should be to win this Nations League,
12:02winning trophies brings players together,
12:05but also we've seen the teams that have won it before
12:07and gone on to win World Cups, Euros.
12:10What has he said to you all?
12:12What's been his message this week?
12:14And has he talked about tactical transformation as well?
12:17Yeah, the message was to go the whole way in the competition
12:21and to win it.
12:23And I think to win the Nations League, like you say,
12:27to go on to the tournaments in the coming years
12:30would be a big positive for us.
12:32So like I said, the manager's message was to go the whole 10 games
12:36and to get a result in all of them.
12:39And Gibbs White has been called up to the squad
12:42in quite a theatric departure from his wife on TikTok.
12:47Did you all watch that with enjoyment?
12:49And did you all welcome him in similar musical style?
12:52Yeah, I think he'd not been there long in Dubai,
12:57but I was speaking to him.
12:59He said, like I said before, it's a privilege to play for England
13:03and it was a no-brainer for him to come back and put on the show.
13:07Kept you smiling. Thank you.
13:09Thanks, Kerry.
13:09Take a few questions down, Barga, until 10.30.
13:12Do we go to Tom?