In Group C of the Euros, we have Denmark and England, two teams who met in the semi-final last time out, along with Serbia and Slovenia.
This season has seen the rise of some brilliant young footballers, ready to make their mark on a stage like the Euros and secure their breakthrough move in the summer.
One such inspiring player is Jarrad Branthwaite of England and Everton.
Making his senior debut at the age of 17 for Everton and previously for Carlisle United in League Two.
Branthwaite’s journey has captured the attention of top European clubs, including Manchester United, who are reportedly keen on signing the left-footed centre-back.
The visualisation below provides a comprehensive view of Branthwaite’s performance, comparing his key metrics with those of players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues.
This data-driven analysis provides a clear picture of his strengths and areas for improvement, giving us a deeper understanding of his game.
Branthwaite is an athletic centre-back who excels in one-on-one defending.
Playing in a low-block team like Everton means that Branthwaite is required to be focused and is expected to compete in 1v1 duels for a significant part of the game. The defender has come out on top during the league this season.
Given that he is also left-footed, and the number of left-footed centre-backs is always pretty low in the market, the valuation for a player of his quality will always be high as long as he continues his performances on the pitch.
Branthwaite is not an aerially dominant defender like one might have expected, but he is still good enough to rank higher than the 50th percentile for success in aerial duels over the course of the season.
Despite playing in a non-possession-dominant team like Everton, Branthwaite is skilled on the ball and can create new and varied passing angles for his team due to his left-footedness.
His loan last year at PSV gave him an excellent taste of first-team football and has helped him establish himself as one of the most important players in Everton’s starting lineups this season.
He has, in fact, played the most minutes next to Jordan Pickford and his central defending partner James Tarkowski.
Given Southgate’s preference for rotating players in different positions in the defence, especially on the left, Branthwaite could be very useful to England in the upcoming Euros and may also get his breakthrough move during the summer of 2024.
