Centre back took part in shuttle runs and fitness work as build-up to next season begins
Jarrad Branthwaite was heavily involved in the first day of pre-season testing as the centre back showcased his recovery from injury.
The 24-year-old endured a miserable season, making just 10 appearances in a campaign bookended by injuries to the same hamstring. The sight of him being stretchered off in the home Merseyside derby was a low point and a defining moment in the club’s poor finish to the season.
For all the initial fears of another serious setback, early assessments of that injury suggested it was not serious and there was hope he would be fit for pre-season.
There were positive signs that would be the case when the first senior Everton players returned to Finch Farm for testing after their summer break.
The defender took part in shuttle runs and ball-work with his teammates, looking comfortable as he mirrored those around him.
The ECHO reported last month how Branthwaite’s recovery was understood to be going well through the close season, with the former Carlisle man taking a physio with him on holiday to keep up with his rehabilitation programme.
The sight of him on the grass at the training ground will fill David Moyes with the hope that he will be able to count on Branthwaite this season. Everton have fought off interest from the likes of Manchester United since his rise and convincing him to sign a new deal 12 months ago was seen as a landmark achievement in Moyes’ efforts to rebuild a side that had been involved in successive relegation fights before his return in January 2025.
The club view Branthwaite as a cornerstone of their ambitions but his last campaign was decimated by a hamstring injury suffered on the eve of the new season that left him out until late-January. His return coincided with the run of form that took Everton into the heart of the race for Europe - only for his misfortune against Liverpool to spark a downturn in fortunes that saw the Blues squander that golden opportunity.