The 17-year-old has reportedly been selected for Manchester United’s first team pre-season tour.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the father of James Garner, a rising star from Manchester United’s academy, has confirmed his son will be going on the first team pre-season tour to the United States.
The report stated that Garner’s father tweeted the announcement on Wednesday night, but deleted the post soon after.
In 2017, Jose Mourinho named a 28-man squad for the pre-season tour that included a few young players but with nine United players still involved in the World Cup, this year there may be opportunities for more to make their mark.
So who is the first confirmed rookie going on the first team tour later this month? And why does Mourinho think the 17-year-old is ready?
1) Garner only made his U18 debut 14 months ago but has since made 27 appearances for the Premier League North champions and was nominated for the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.
2) The midfielder has proven leadership credentials in his short career so far, taking the armband for the England U17s and filling in as captain for United’s U18s last year when Lee O’Connor was absent.
3) The 17-year-old has a playing style similar to Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick and his strongest attributes are his vision and passing ability, as evidenced by this montage from Twitter.
4) Garner has in fact been heavily praised by Carrick, who described him as one of the most promising players currently in the United academy. Carrick’s recent ascension into the coaching staff may be behind Garner’s selection.
5) Following an impressive 2017/18 season for the U18s, the Merseyside-born midfielder signed his first professional contract with the club in May 2018.
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