EXCLUSIVE: Jake O'Brien speaks to ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley about becoming a Blues regular under David Moyes, having been overlooked by Sean Dyche
Jake O'Brien during the Everton v West Ham United Premier League Summer Series match at Soldier Field, Chicago, on July, 30, 2025
Jake O'Brien during the Everton v West Ham United Premier League Summer Series match at Soldier Field, Chicago, on July, 30, 2025
(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC Official Photography Library/SmartFrame)
Jake O’Brien admits being frozen out of the action by Sean Dyche “wasn’t what I expected” after he became Everton’s biggest buy of last summer. But he’s looking to evolve as a right-back if deployed there again next season.
Completing a £16.43million transfer from Olympique Lyonnais on July 30, 2024, the Republic of Ireland international failed to start a Premier League game under Dyche and was restricted to just 34 minutes of action in the competition in the shape of a couple of cameo appearances off the bench. O’Brien told the ECHO: “I think since the new gaffer came in, it’s been a huge change. Not just in terms of me playing, but the results that came with it.
“We’d had a tough start to last season, and we hadn’t done very well. This season, we’re looking to start better and push on.
“It was disappointing. It wasn’t what I was expecting but I still trained really hard every day and came in and knew once I got my chance, I’d grab it.
“I just came in every day and did my best, that’s all you can do in a situation like that. You’ve just got to train your best, do what you can do, and eventually your chance will come.”
Although the natural centre-back started out cautiously in his new role, as his experience increased, he became more cavalier in his attitude, netting twice in the space of three games to snatch draws against Brentford and West Ham United, while earning the moniker “The Cork Cafu,” from this correspondent. O’Brien said: “I have played full-back before, but not at this standard. As a centre-back, there are situations that are the same but also ones that are different and there are obviously parallels between the two roles.
“I suppose at the start when I went right-back, I wasn’t looked at for going forwards as much, I was more part of a three next to the centre-back in a hybrid role. But as the games went on and we had more of the ball, and I pushed on further up the pitch because I wasn’t needed where I was, and it worked out as we got good results.
“It was a surprise, but I’d had conversations with the new manager, and he wanted to get me into the team. I suppose it came fast in a new position, but it’s something you’ve got to be ready for.
“You train every day, and you pick up little things from what you see the guys are doing. I suppose that’s what I’ve done for a while now, and I know how that position works so it wasn’t the huge shock that some people might think.”
Although O’Brien has reverted to centre-back for Everton’s two games so far in the Premier League Summer Series, he could find himself back out wide soon if Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski – who came off the bench last time out for his first outing since picking up his hamstring injury against Manchester City in April – are fit enough to re-establish their fruitful partnership but the 24-year-old believes he can benefit from the both while also utilising his 6ft 6in frame to impose himself on matches.
O’Brien said: “I think you always pick up things, not just in games but in training, there are little bits I can add to my game. Jarrad and James have done so well in their partnership for two years now and have kept a lot of clean sheets so there are bits from their game that I can add to mine, although we’re all different players and we all play differently.
“I think as a team, we’re looking to push on and try to compete for a place in Europe, like the gaffer said. From a personal point of view, I just want to get as many goals as I can, as many clean sheets and try to add some more goals as well.
“Every season, I look to add a few goals. With my height, I think it’s important that I add to the goals and not just defend as I think it’s important that defenders have got goals in their game as well and help the team.”
Like his manager, O’Brien acknowledges that more new recruits will be required to help give Everton a team befitting of their new 52,769 capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium on the Mersey waterfront. He said: “I think we need more players in general because as you can see, the squad is thin at the moment. But I’m sure the club are working hard in the background.
“We’ve trained there and played a game there before we came over. It’s a very impressive stadium and I think it will be exciting to have the fans in and play in front of them and the atmosphere will be good.”