Jake O’Brien makes honest admission about Everton playing time this season

Jake O’Brien makes honest admission about Everton playing time this season

Jake O’Brien has admitted he knew he’d have to be “patient” to get his chance in the first team when he joined Everton in the summer.

The defender has only played a few games for the Toffees this season and has been used as a backup since the start of the campaign.

Speaking to Everton’s Official YouTube Channel (14 October), the defender shared what it meant to him after he joined the Toffees in the summer.

“I knew coming here [Everton] I would have to be patient,” he said. “I know like the other clubs I have been at, being patient is something that is a part of it.

“And once I get my chance hopefully I will grab it with two hands and go from there. The Premier League is the best league in the world, the pace of the game, the physicality.

“I know I have not played much of it but you can see just from the line that it is very fast and it is a great league and has great players.

“So, I suppose the quicker I come in, the more I look forward to it”.

Everton should give Jake O’Brien a chance

This season, the Toffees’ defence has once again been one of the main talking points of Sean Dyche’s team.

The Merseyside outfit have been without star man Jarrad Branthwaite for the vast majority of the season, which has meant that James Tarkowski and Michael Keane have been the ones the former Burnley manager has chosen to rely upon.

That is despite bringing in O’Brien during the summer window for a fee worth around £17million, which makes the Ireland international one of the Toffees’ most expensive signings of recent times.

While Keane and Tarkowski have been in mostly decent form this term, there have been times when they’ve left a lot to be desired and Everton have seemed like they could really use the services of O’Brien.

Dyche may not feel like he’s ready yet, but if they want to avoid a relegation battle, the resting of players will no doubt be an integral part in doing so, which is where O’Brien’s services would evidently come in handy.