Asmir Begovic hands in Jarrad Branthwaite transfer and takes the lid off Everton’s punishment wheel

“In his second year he went to PSV to play for Ruud van Nistelrooy, Marcel Brands, who used to be director of football at Everton, was at PSV, so he knew Jarrad very well and gave him the opportunity.

“I saw him again this summer and he has developed in every way. You look at him in training and you see that he is a top player, he will reach the top.

“You could see him captaining England at some point. I’m glad we kept him because he’s a damn good player, he’s incredible.”

Allardyce, who was Everton manager from November 30, 2017 to May 16, 2018, chimed in: “It was a big surprise that nobody spent money on him, a left-footed centre-half, in the summer, especially at Manchester United.” One would think that someone who needs a central midfielder who has proven he can play Premier Leagueand then as his capabilities get even better, what is he 22.

“It was a big, big setback for a lot of big clubs. Because of Everton’s financial problems, someone thought they could buy him at a bargain price.”

Begovic returned for a second spell with the Blues this summer after spending last season in the Championship with Queens Park Rangers. And when asked what Everton’s goals were in their historic finals campaign at Goodison Park, he replied: “It’s been a few years of chaos, there’s no getting around that, so it’s very important for us to just have a good, solid season.

“We have a highly qualified manager who has experience, has been there and seen it all, so he leads the company. Overall our performances were really good, we just didn’t get the points that those performances probably deserved.

“We’ve got a lot of games coming up after this international break, it’s going to be a busy period soon and that’s where it can really make or break your season and hopefully we can continue and turn these good performances into three.” points. We have the squad and our job is to turn good performances into wins.”

Begovic made 10 appearances for Everton during his first spell between 2021 and 2023 but has not played since his return. Explaining his role as England’s number one backup Jordan Pickford With the Blues he said: “We have a really good relationship, when I first came to Everton three years ago I had a similar role: compete with Jordan, push Jordan and hopefully help the team.

“I’m here to push Jordan and the other goalkeepers and compete with them, be a bit of a big brother at times, but also set the standard in training and provide a bit of leadership.

“I understand my role and have a really good relationship with the club. Relations with people, with staff, with fans have always been pleasant.

“It’s not the easiest place to play, I think the fans are incredibly demanding, but I enjoy being at other big clubs. I love the pressure and expectation of the fans and I’m looking forward to getting Everton back to where they need to be with a new stadium to help the club move forward, ultimately it’s about the success of the team.

“It’s a very interesting dynamic. I think the situation is difficult.

“Psychologically, of course, I think you train, you prepare well and you’re a professional, that goes without saying, but then you know you probably won’t play on Saturday, so I think psychologically it’s difficult and I think this role would suit someone with a little more experience. “I think when you see top twos taking that position at a younger age, it doesn’t last long.”

Begovic was also asked if the Everton manager Sean Dyche triggers a wheel of punishment, which it spins to determine the fate of players guilty of various offenses. The 37-year-old confirmed: “It exists. I don’t think we have a name for it.

“This is happening in several clubs now. It kind of started in the last few years.

“I think the situation at Burnley was much deeper. I think it grew some legs.

“Everything is very simple with us. At the moment it’s a simple fine, so we’ll see if there is progress, there are no creative fines, but there is a jury.”