Rodwell takes his chance

When Mikel Arteta left Everton in the final hours of the last transfer window, many Evertonians doubted that Jack Rodwell would be able to step up and fill the void the spaniard left behind. In the intervening weeks Rodwell has taken the first steps towards doing just that.

They are different types of player of course, but Rodwell has at last started to show that he might just fulfill the potential he showed when he first burst onto the scene in 2009. Rodwell appeared to be losing his way last season and at the start of this but I always felt that had a lot to do with confidence. It was obvious that Rodwell had good technique and the right physical attributes but he was struggling to impose himself on games. He didn't appear to be sure of his position (possibly due to being deployed in too many different roles) and to me his head seemed clouded with self doubt. As anyone who's played at any level will testify, when you're confident everything you try seems to come off, but as soon as the doubt creeps in the touch is heavy, passes are overhit, underhit and every game starts to become an arduous road full of pitfalls. For a young player the temptation in this situation is to play safe, to make sure you don't make mistakes - you can see why they would play it simple and avoid showing for the ball unless it's absolutely necessary.

Since Arteta's departure, Moyes has publically stated that he's looking to Rodwell to tie down a place in the centre of the Everton midfield. He's played him regularly and in the same position. Gradually, I've started to see that match condition returning in him and with his performances gradually improving his confidence has returned.

Whilst Jack might not be the creative force that Arteta was he has racked up some impressive stats for pass completion (over 90% in a couple of games) and has thereby replaced one important aspect to the spaniard's game that many feared we would miss. And as we know, controlling possession means a lot in the premier league today.

In terms of personality, Rodwell seems a modest lad by the standards of many professional footballers these days, you can look at him stepping up in Arteta's absence in two ways. Either he's thriving with the responsibility of the team relying on him, or he's more comfortable with less pressure on his place in the team. His performances culminated in him being called up to the full England squad - and judging by the way he took that opportunity (most observers agreed he impressed in both games) I would say that young Jack might just be one of those players who needs responsibility. Future club captain anyone?

Let's hope Rodwell can keep it up. I think he may just have turned the corner and he could turn out to be a lot better player for the experience of overcoming such a wobble. Believe lad!