Ireland defender Jake O’Brien is glad to be given the opportunity to “show what he can do” under new manager David Moyes after a frustrating first half of the season.
O’Brien’s only two Premier League starts have come in Everton’s past two matches – consecutive wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion – playing in a less familiar role of right back. He stood out against Brighton, playing the full 90 minutes and keeping tricky left winger Kaoru Mitoma quiet.
“We knew it was always going to be tough coming down here, but happy we got the three points and it’s a top, top performance,” O’Brien told the Everton website. “I think I just had to be patient, wait for my chance, and gladly the gaffer’s given me a chance to come into the side and play a new role.
“I’m just happy to play my part in whichever role he wants me to play. I’m happy that it’s two wins in two now. I knew it was always going to be different. I suppose when you look at me you don’t think of a full back, but I have qualities where I can defend one on one and bring the ball out as well. So I think I can be natural and just express myself.”
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O’Brien arrived from Olympique Lyon for a €20 million fee after excelling in Ligue 1 but did not fit in with Sean Dyche’s plans, making just three substitute appearances in the Premier League. The 23-year-old Corkman, who made his Ireland debut in March of last year, ended up missing out on one of Heimir Hallgrímsson’s squads due to lack of game time.
“I think there was for a lot of question marks over my head on what kind of player I was, and it was frustrating that I wasn’t able to show what kind of player I was, but gladly now I can come to the side and start to show bits of my game,” he said.
Halgrímsson will be keeping an eye on France where John Joe Patrick Finn, known as John Patrick, will be looking to have a similar impact in France as O’Brien did. The tall midfielder made his debut for Stade de Reims, who he joined from Getafe two weeks ago, and impressed against Paris Saint-Germain as they got a 1-1 draw against the league champions.
The 21-year-old is a former under-19 Ireland international. Born in Madrid, his father is from Co Mayo and his mother is French-Cameroonian, meaning he is eligible to play for Ireland, Spain, France and Cameroon, but indications are that he will play for Ireland.
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“It was John Patrick’s first start as a professional and he showed character,” manager Luka Elsner said of his performance at Parc de Princes.
Ike Orazi, an Irish under-19 international, is also at Reims after joining from Shamrock Rovers in 2023.
Meanwhile, Andrew Omobadiele came off the bench to make his debut for Strasbourg in their 2-1 victory over LOSC Lille. The centre back is on loan from Nottingham Forest.
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