- Garner targets World Cup spot after stunning Man of the Match debut.
- Tuchel hails Everton’s midfield star as England’s very own “mini Valverde.”
- Pearce backs impressive Garner to gatecrash England’s summer squad.
James Garner has returned to Everton following his impressive first senior England camp. The 25-year-old midfielder started the 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley, delivering a Man of the Match performance, drawing praise from pundits and Thomas Tuchel alike.
In 69 minutes on the pitch against Uruguay, Garner made four key passes, three crosses and six defensive actions. Now, with seven Premier League games remaining and Everton pushing for Europe, James Garner will look to carry that form into the club’s run-in.
Pearce backs James Garner for World Cup consideration
Former England captain Stuart Pearce was impressed with what he saw from the Everton midfielder. Speaking on talkSPORT, Pearce acknowledged that Garner had made an impact in a squad filled with players trying to prove themselves.
“I thought Maguire had done okay. I thought Trafford did okay out of it. I thought Palmer gave us something when he come off the bench, and Garner – for his first game – will be pleased with his work as well,” Pearce said.
Pearce then suggested that James Garner could be a surprise name on the plane to the World Cup this summer. “By the time we start, if we start the World Cup with that team, you know full well it’s not going to finish with that team. So you’re hoping the likes of Bellingham is going to force his way in. That should be his aim, potentially Rashford, maybe one or two from the outside that we haven’t seen, maybe Garner even.
“You know, if Garner’s run into the squad, isn’t that fragmented at this moment in time and that late? Maybe even someone like him who we’re not even thinking about at this moment in time.”
Tuchel hails ‘Mini Valverde’ as James Garner eyes England glory
England manager Thomas Tuchel was also full of praise for Garner after the game, drawing a flattering comparison to one of Europe’s finest midfielders.
“Jimmy is a good football player, first of all. Very clean in everything he does, fast, has a lot of volume, covers a lot of ground. He helps everyone around him and makes everyone else better… James Garner is our mini Valverde,” Tuchel said.
Garner himself has made no secret of his ambitions. Having won the European Under-21 Championship with England in 2023, he now wants to go one step further.
“For me personally, that was probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever had winning the Euros with the under-21s,” Garner told reporters. “So I just want to go one step further now, hopefully win a trophy for the first team as well.”
He admitted he had targeted this season as the moment to prove himself. “I told myself that at the start of the season that it has to be this season where I show everyone what I can do. I think so far I have done.”
Tuchel wants to see James Garner continue his fine form in Everton’s remaining seven games. If he does, a World Cup place may no longer be a distant dream. For now, the focus returns to Brentford away on April 11, where Garner will aim to drive Everton closer to European qualification.
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