Jarrad Branthwaite says he is feeling confident and ready to "keep learning" with Everton ahead of the new season, despite interest from Manchester United.
The Red Devils have seen two offers rejected for the 22-year-old defender, who is valued between £70-£80million by the Toffees.
Branthwaite made 41 appearances for Everton last term, with his impressive performances earning him the club's Players' Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards.
He also received his first senior England call-up and was named in Gareth Southgate's provisional Euro 2024 squad, though he was ultimately left out of the final 26.
And Branthwaite hopes he can continue building on that momentum heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
"I think for me, it's just about taking what I learned from last season, and the season before, and putting it all together," he told Everton's official website.
"I think last season, playing all the games I did, helped me put performances in and get the experience I needed. I'm going to take that into this season and keep learning.
"When you've got a good defensive record, it gives you confidence going into the new season.
"It's not just the defenders who contribute to that, it's the whole team, and it's the way the manager has us set up to give us the best possible chance to win games and to pick up as many points as we can.
"I think it'll be the same again this season. Hopefully, we can pick up a few wins early on and get the momentum going in the new season."
Everton also confirmed on Friday that The Friedkin Group will not be buying a majority stake in the club, having been granted a period of exclusivity last month.
Positive start: Chapelton Maroons edge Harbour View 2-1 on return to top-flight football
It was a triumphant return to top-flight football for Chapelton Maroons and new head coach O’Neil ‘Bigga’ Thompson as they clipped former champions Harbour View 2-1 in their opening Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) encounter at the Anthony Spaulding Complex on Monday.
Javel Ellis (10th) and Nathaniel Howe (63rd) got the job done for the Clarendon-based team, which was relegated from the JPL two seasons ago. Andre Fagan (59th), pulled one back for Harbour View, who are now being guided by Jason ‘Buju’ Henry.
Thompson, who was an assistant at another Clarendon outfit, Humble Lion, expressed delight at his team’s positive start.
“Every team in the Premier League is prepared to win their first game. Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it goes against you. So I feel extremely pleased to start off the season with three points. We will continue to work on the areas we want to improve on. But so far, I am satisfied with the performance of the team,” Thompson said in a post-game interview.
Chapelton, intent on giving a more competitive account of themselves this time around, were more purposeful in the early exchanges, as they applied pressure to Harbour View’s defensive line and were duly rewarded for their efforts.
This, as Ellis capitalise on a goalkeeping error by Harbour View’s Romario Palma with an easy finish from close range.
Seemingly content with their lead, Chapelton gradually took a defensive posture and absorbed pressure from Harbour View, who eventually got into their rhythm, but failed to make it count in the final third as the score remain unchanged at the break.
Like they did at the start, Chapelton were again more spirited on the resumption and created a few half chances, which amounted to nothing.
That allowed Harbour View back into the contest as Fagan expertly headed home from Tahair Lawrence’s cross to pull the ‘Stars of the East’ level.
However, Howe ensured the points went Chapelton’s way when he fired past Palma three minutes past the hour mark.
Try as they did, Harbour View were unable to find the elusive equaliser and, as such, were left to pick up the pieces heading into the second match week, something defender Romaine Brackenridge is confident they will do.
“We are a young unit. Despite the result, the guys came out and tried their best. So we have to improve on this going forward. It’s still early days. We have a long season ahead and we have players still to come in. So the Harbour View you saw today (Monday), you can expect better things going forward,” Brackenridge declared.
New England Revolution v CF Montreal: Courtois targets strong mental approach
CF Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois has urged his players to prioritise their mental approach when they travel to New England Revolution on Wednesday.
Montreal snapped a four-match winless streak in MLS at the weekend with a 2-1 win over Charlotte FC, but they have registered back-to-back victories in the league since March.
They sit 12th in the Eastern Conference but still have an outside chance of making the playoffs if they can string together a run of positive results.
Courtois did not get over-excited by the win over Charlotte and is already looking at how to improve to get another three points on the board.
"I am happy, we are talking about things that are positive, but for me, there are always both [no matter the result]," Courtois said.
"It comes down to the mental approach. The message got through [against Charlotte], but if we look at the details, we could have conceded again, and then we would be talking about something else entirely."
Meanwhile, New England are bottom of the table, three points worse off than their opponents.
They suffered a 3-0 loss to Orlando City last time out and are now winless in three matches, but assistant coach Pablo Moreira is confident they can bounce back.
"All three goals were given up on set pieces, which is a tough one to swallow, and then through the run of play. So, [we'll] just build off of the positives and look forward to the game Wednesday," Moreira said, as quoted in the Blazing Musket.
"It's more that mentality after [conceding] and trying to improve that."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution – Aljaz Ivacic
Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Orlando was the 12th time this season New England have lost a regular season match by multiple goals, the most such losses this MLS season.
The 12 multi-goal losses are New England's most in a single season in club history, and Aljaz Ivacic will be desperate to keep a clean sheet.
CF Montreal – Josef Martinez
Josef Martinez has scored eight career regular-season goals against New England, tied for his most against any MLS opponent (D.C. United, Orlando).
No player has scored more goals against the Revs over the last 10 MLS seasons.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN
New England and Montreal have each won three of the last six meetings in the fixture. The Revs scored 13 goals in their three wins while failing to score in the three defeats.
The Revolution are winless in three straight regular-season home matches (D2 L1). It has been four years since they went four straight home league games without a win (D4 L1 from March-September 2020).
However, Montreal are winless in 14 straight away matches in all competitions (D4 L10), including losing their last three away from home. Montreal's only longer road winless run in all competitions since joining MLS in 2011 was a 34-match run in 2013-14.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution – 52.5%
Draw – 24.3%
CF Montreal – 23.2%
Jorginho: Arsenal players laughing at Haaland form for Man City
Jorginho has said the form of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is making him and his Arsenal team-mates laugh ahead of next weekend's meeting.
Haaland netted two more goals for City in Saturday's 2-1 comeback win over Brentford at the Etihad Stadium to maintain his side's perfect start.
That took the striker to nine goals across City's first four Premier League games this season - the most any player has scored in the competition's history at this stage.
Arsenal are the next side tasked with attempting to keep Haaland quiet in next weekend's showdown between the division's top-two sides.
Despite Haaland's superb form to begin the campaign, Jorginho insists Arsenal are unfazed heading into Sunday's battle in Manchester.
"Erling scoring again... it is starting to make us laugh," he said. "We look because we watch all the games and we love the Premier League.
"We watch [City] as well, which is normal. It doesn't get to our head. We need to focus on us and that is what we are trying to do."
Last season's runners-up Arsenal are two points behind early pacesetters City after winning three and drawing one of their opening four matches.
Mikel Arteta's men managed to grind out a 1-0 win in their North London derby with Tottenham at the weekend thanks to a Gabriel header.
Arsenal were without key midfield pair Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, owing to suspension and injury respectively, but still got the job done.
"You learn more about each other," said Jorginho, who replaced Rice in midfield. "Everyone wants to improve and wants the best for the team.
"When you put the team in first place I think just good things can happen. Keep believing in what you are doing. I think we are on the right way."
Arsenal travel to Atalanta for their opening Champions League game on Thursday, but one eye is undoubtedly on the trip to City three days later.
"If you want to achieve big things you need to have the mentality of trying to win every single game," Jorginho said.
"That is what we need to do and that is what we want to do. That is what we are trying to do. You need to keep in this way.
"Keep believing in what you're doing. We are believing in what we are doing and we keep working hard to improve on what we need to improve."
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