Ben Godfrey’s Everton struggles show no sign of ending as Rangers reportedly eye up an ambitious deal for the £20 million Premier League misfit.
When Rangers were linked with a shock move for Everton’s former Norwich City captain a month ago this week, Ben Godfrey had only played one minute of first team football throughout the current campaign (90Min).
Four weeks on, that number has not increased. Not even for a second.
Godfrey hasn’t got off the bench in any of Everton’s last four top-flight fixtures. And while Toffees boss Sean Dyche is full of praise about the way the seldom-seen defender continues to go about his business behind the scenes, Godfrey could be forgiven if he is counting down the days until the fireworks light up the night sky and herald the dawn of the January window.
Ben Godfrey out of favour at Everton
“He’s doing terrifically well for us. He’s training very well, he’s staying sharp and ready,” Dyche told the Liverpool Echo recently.
“The hardest thing we’ve had lately is the games programme, to try and keep the players who are not quite playing, (not) starting in the first team, keeping them game-ready. But he looks after himself. He’s a super-fit fella, he’s going along well and he’s ready.
“I think it’s fair to say currently it’s tough. The two centre-halves are both playing very, very well as most people are saying outside of my opinion and decision, I think most people accept that.”
Unfortunately for Godfrey, with James Tarkowski and the previously Ibrox-linked Jarrad Branthwaite excelling at centre-half, his current situation appears unlikely to change. A move to Rangers – albeit probably on a short-term basis – may hold appeal, then. Especially after the likes of Jack Butland, Abdallah Sima and Ben Davies kick-started their careers with moves north of the border, success stories not in short supply.
Rangers could make January changes
Gers boss Philippe Clement, speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Hearts, admits that he is expecting a ‘hectic’ month albeit while playing down the prospect of multiple comings and goings.
“It’s always a busy period,” Clement begins. “But that doesn’t mean a lot of players are coming in and out. It’s always a busy period for managers at all the clubs because anything can happen until the last second.
“To be honest I’m always happy when it’s the first of February!
“It’s always a hectic period because players start to doubt whether to stay or not. There are a lot of talks from us with players and their agents to convince them about things.”
Godfrey, with only 60 seconds of Premier league action under his belt all season, might not take quite so much ‘convincing’ should the opportunity to leave Everton arise.
