Pundit suggests Everton star Holgate is better suited to the Championship
Alan Hutton has insisted Mason Holgate is a weak link in the Everton defence after his return to the starting XI.
The former Scotland defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, has admitted he is not sure the 25-year-old has a long-term future at Goodison Park.
Holgate has featured at the heart of the defence in recent weeks, with Yerry Mina injured and Ben Godfrey moved to left-back.
The versatile defender has very much been a backup option for Rafael Benitez this term, with Michael Keane, Godfrey and Mina ahead in the pecking order when available.
Hutton admitted Holgate’s inclusion has been a case of needs must for the Spanish boss.
Hutton told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “He’s one of those players where I’m not really sure what his best position is.
“Is it at right-back, centre-back, on the right of a three? I’m still not too sure.
“He did have a good loan spell at West Brom but is he going to be the answer for Everton at centre-half moving forward? I’m not so sure.
“But I think with the injuries they’ve got, Yerry Mina, who is a big presence in there, picking up niggling injuries, I don’t know. I think it’s one of those ones where he needs to use him now.
“It’s a position where he is capable of playing. You need to remember, going from the Championship to the Premier League is a big jump. You’re playing against superstars and you have to be on your game. He’s better suited to the Championship at the moment.
“The thing for him is he’s still relatively young. When the confidence in the group is low, that can kind of flow through everybody. It makes it more difficult.”
Holgate featured just four times in Everton’s opening 11 matches before picking up a three-match suspension for a red card versus Tottenham.
He replaced Yerry Mina off the bench against Arsenal and started in the 3-1 defeat to Palace.
In other news, Benitez told to hold exit talks with Everton forward after agent reveal.