Ben Godfrey, the Everton defender, has quickly turned into an unwelcome afterthought at Goodison Park, and he might beg Sean Dyche to allow him to leave the team permanently in January.
The York-born force seemed like a worthy addition when he was brought in by Carlo Ancelotti back in 2020. He had previously made waves for his former employers, Norwich City, in both the Premier League and the second division.
Godfrey demanded a hefty £20 million, joining players like Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez in being signed at Goodison Park in that summer transfer window.
After being signed in 2020, the former Canaries defender has made 79 appearances on Merseyside’s blue side, despite being severely hindered by injury issues and inconsistent play in the Toffees’ starting lineup.
Under Sean Dyche’s ten-month tenure at the club, that regrettably has persisted. Now, more than two years after being hailed as one of the best young defenders of his position and given his England debut in June 2021, the 25-year-old defender is an unfortunate afterthought.
It’s terrible to see a player with Godfrey’s level of talent fall so gracefully in such a short period of time, and that’s undoubtedly due to a lack of confidence and opportunity.
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Due to his decline in the hierarchy, there were even rumors during the summer (The Times, June 1) that Dyche and company would be willing to let the former Shrewsbury Town loanee leave, even though he still had two years left on his current contract on Merseyside.
Even though Godfrey stayed in the team in the end due to the departures of players like Conor Coady, Yerry Mina, and Mason Holgate, the £4 million man has been marginalized this season because Jarrad Branthwaite is now a well-deserved regular.
Godfrey has only played in two games this season, and even if one of James Tarkowski or Branthwaite gets hurt for Everton, it’s unclear when he’ll play again under Dyche’s guidance at this time.
Dyche’s insistence that Michael Keane’s services will always be preferred over Godfrey’s only serves to highlight how forgotten the 25-year-old is at Goodison Park.
Godfrey will undoubtedly beg Dyche to allow him to leave during the January window, as he is about to enter the most important years of his career. Right now, it’s probably the best choice for his struggling career.
