- Garner has started all 31 Premier League matches for Everton this season.
- His 140 tackles and interceptions are more than any other Premier League player.
- Tuchel’s call-up rewards defensive volume, creativity and rare positional flexibility.
James Garner’s first senior England call-up was no more than he deserved. It follows his consistent performance for Everton this season.
The 25-year-old midfielder has started all 31 of the Toffees’ Premier League matches, combining solid and responsible defending with creativity and positional flexibility across central midfield, defensive midfield and full-back.
It’s a call-up built on an accumulation of minutes – 2,784 in the Premier League for those who are counting – and quality that has shone through since day one, and that goal on the first day at the Hill Dickinson.
The defensive case is strong
Garner has made a combined 140 tackles and interceptions in the Premier League this season, more than any other player. Across Europe’s top five leagues, no midfielder has won possession more times than his 323. These stats reflect Garner’s selfless role in David Moyes’s team, which offers the perfect platform for those in front of him.
Tuchel called him “a bit of an underrated player” and said he had been “impressed watching him live, by his work rate and physicality.” England’s midfield is full of ball-players and creators, but Garner brings defensive surety without the chaos, and he does it while maintaining an 88% pass completion rate.
But he also creates
Garner’s six assists lead Everton this season. He has created 10 big chances, played 94 line-breaking passes into the final third, and averages 1.45 key passes per game. Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer both singled him out after the Chelsea win, with Rooney calling him “outstanding”.
But Garner is not just recycling possession from deep. He is helping Everton progress the ball up the pitch and is also supplying passes in the final third. It’s a rare combination for a midfielder who also posts such impressive defensive numbers.
Versatility is the key…
Moyes has used Garner in central midfield, defensive midfield, left-back and right-back this season. Moyes believes he is “probably a No.8” but could become “a good No.6 as well,” and praised his willingness to fill in at full-back when Everton were short. Tuchel explicitly noted that Garner can slot into right-back if needed.
Obviously, in a 26-man World Cup squad, places are finite. The final spots often go to players who can help the manager solve more than one problem, and that gives Garner a potential route into the squad even if he is not the first choice.
Does a path actually exist?
It does, but it is an outside chance. Tuchel named a 35-man group for these two internationals, against Uruguay and Japan, specifically to widen the competition.
The ball, to a degree, is in Garner’s court. If he looks comfortable in camp and closes the Everton season out at the same high level, he will give Tuchel serious food for thought.
His ability to play in several positions makes him a candidate for the final squad. If Tuchel wants energy, trust, good set-piece delivery and tactical cover, why shouldn’t he stay in the frame?
