James Garner has signed a contract extension with Everton, committing his future to the club until 2030.
Garner has been one of Everton’s standout players this season, and David Moyes was keen to tie him down with his previous deal set to expire in the summer.
The midfielder had drawn interest from several Premier League sides, but any talk of a move away from Hill Dickinson Stadium can now be put to rest.
James Garner hints his progress came after change from Sean Dyche’s approach
Speaking to Everton’s website on Friday’s announcement, Garner pointed out that Moyes has had a huge influence on his development since taking charge.
The midfielder appeared to hint that the previous setup under Sean Dyche had not quite fit his strengths.
“Since (Moyes) came in, there’s been no surprise I’ve gone up levels of performances,” the 24-year-old said.
“That’s down to him and his coaching staff. He’s trusted me and what he asks of me to do on a game day, it suits exactly how I play. He’s been really important since he’s come in.
“You see the progress we’ve made as a team. There’s definitely progression there, and I feel like there’s only going to be more.
“I want to be part of that progress and get the club back to where it deserves to be.”
James Garner wants to be a leader at Everton
Garner also spoke about his ambition to step into more of a leadership role around Finch Farm, which speaks volumes about his mindset.
“I’ve always been quite a natural leader, and I’ve done that throughout academy football and things like that,” the midfielder stated.
“It’s hard when you first come into a club when you’ve already got so many leaders, so you have to find your feet and find your place – and I feel like I’ve done that now and it’s time to step up the responsibility on and off the pitch.
“I have had to step up to the plate (in the absence of others recently), and I feel like my performances have shown that and shown I can be one of the influential leaders in the team.”
Garner’s stellar performances have deeply impressed Alan Shearer, and a reward in the form of an England call-up from Thomas Tuchel is certainly a possibility.
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