---
title: "James Tarkowski should be in England’s World Cup squad"
canonical: "https://readeverton.com/james-tarkowski-england-world-cup-squad-2022-southgate/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "James Thompson"
section: "Everton News"
published: "2022-09-30T06:45:00Z"
modified: "2022-09-30T06:45:00Z"
---

# James Tarkowski should be in England’s World Cup squad

[Everton](https://readeverton.com/) may have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their [five](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-everton/spielplan/verein/29) opening Premier League games of the season, but Frank Lampard’s side have not conceded a goal in either of their subsequent two matches.

One man in the squad at Goodison Park who has played a very prominent part for the Toffees and who we feel has done enough to be considered for a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup is James Tarkowski.

The defender [joined](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12635512/james-tarkowski-everton-complete-signing-of-defender-on-four-year-deal-after-burnley-departure) Everton on a free transfer from Burnley in July and has since gone on to play every minute of league action for the Merseyside club, making him one of just [three](https://fbref.com/en/squads/d3fd31cc/Everton-Stats) players to do so at this stage of the season.

In that time, the 29-year-old has made more blocks ([18](https://fbref.com/en/squads/d3fd31cc/Everton-Stats)) and clearances ([58](https://fbref.com/en/squads/d3fd31cc/Everton-Stats)) than any of his team-mates, along with racking up the second-highest number of successful tackles ([nine](https://fbref.com/en/squads/d3fd31cc/Everton-Stats)) and interceptions ([16](https://fbref.com/en/squads/d3fd31cc/Everton-Stats)) at the club, marking him out as a diligent, no-nonsense centre-back.

In addition to proving how solid he can be defensively, the Englishman has also shown how comfortable he is in possession, boasting the joint-second highest percentage of completed passes ([83.7%](https://fbref.com/en/squads/d3fd31cc/Everton-Stats)) out of Everton players to attempt more than 100.

His overall performances in the league have earned the former Burnley colossus – who was picking up [£50k-per-week](https://fbref.com/en/players/15ea812b/James-Tarkowski#all_wages) at Turf Moor – a season rating of 7.1/10 from [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/31/Show/England-Everton), making him the highest-rated outfield player at Goodison Park

This shows how impressive the centre-back has been for Everton and why he deserves to be in the conversation and in Southgate’s thoughts for the England squad to travel to Qatar in a few weeks’ time.

Having previously been described as “[unbelievable](https://twitter.com/adjones_journo/status/1276218659426443265?s=20&t=32KvEVzP1JfRMg8w3MbEig)” by journalist Andy Jones, Tarkowski has the ability to be a useful squad member for England at the World Cup, especially if he continues his fine run of form for Everton over the coming weeks.