England U21 manager Lee Carsley is hoping to see James Garner force his way into Everton’s Premier League plans after an impressive performance in the 3-1 victory over Germany in midweek, speaking via The Athletic.
The £9 million summer signing from Manchester United was probably just happy to get onto the pitch. It’s been a while since he took to the field, after all, failing to play a minute in any of the first seven games of this Premier League season.
Garner, then, had a point to prove on his ninth appearance for the Young Lions. And prove it he did; pulling the strings and orchestrating proceedings from a deep-lying playmaker role against Germany.
“James did really well,” beamed Carsley; toasting an impressive comeback win secured by strikes from Folarin Balogun, Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer.
“You always worry when players have a lack of minutes. But he came into camp in really good condition. Hopefully, Everton will have watched him and he’ll have put himself in a better position (to play more regularly).”
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Aa major factor in Nottingham Forest’s promotion campaign last term; Garner adopted an orthadox central midfield role in Steve Cooper’s 3-5-2 formation. It is his ability to thrive in a number of different positions that has caught Carsley’s eye, however.
“He’s an all-round box-to-box midfielder,” adds the former Birmingham City enforcer. “He can play a variety of roles and has a lot of attributes. If you can be mobile, get around the pitch and play six as well, then it really helps because of the ground you can cover.”
Garner will be hoping to finally make his Everton debut in the away trip to Southampton this weekend. Then again, dislodging Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye following the Toffees’ first win of the campaign against West Ham United will be easier said than done.
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