Everton player says teammate has "potential to be among best" – Wants extended Goodison stay for him

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Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite can become one of the best defenders in the world and has already been greatly missed this season.

That's according to goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who has been speaking to Diretta and was full of praise for the 22-year-old.

Branthwaite has enjoyed a rapid rise since establishing himself in the Everton first team at the start of last season.

He had returned to the Toffees after a successful season with PSV Eindhoven on loan the year before and, amid clamour from the Everton faithful, was eventually brought in by Sean Dyche.

That proved to be a smart decision as the defender formed a superb defensive partnership with James Tarkowski and went on to have an excellent first season at the club in which he was part of one of the best defences in the league.

Praise for him has not been hard to find since, either in England or across Europe, with some journalists in the Netherlands even comparing him to Virgil van Dijk.

He also has admirers among other clubs in England, with Manchester United trying hard to secure his signature this summer before eventually spending their money elsewhere.

Begovic gets to see him daily and believes he's destined for the top, even if he would like to see the defender stay at Everton for at time first.

“Jarrad is a very important player for the team and his presence has been greatly missed," he said.

"It’s nice to have strong competition for places in the team. He has the potential to be among the best. He has all the attributes, and I hope he gets the opportunity to play for Everton for many years to come.”

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