Leon Osman has now heaped praise on James Garner – claiming he would be “amazed” if the Everton No.37 fails to make the next England squad.
The £9m signing from Manchester United in September 2022 has enjoyed a spectacular 2025/26 campaign with Everton, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 29 Premier League appearances to leave David Moyes just five points away from fifth place at the time of writing.
Thomas Tuchel has watched James Garner on several occasions at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this term, and Leon Osman has now suggested the Everton star is even more deserving of a spot in the next England squad than Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
Is James Garner good enough to be playing for England at the World Cup? 🏴
Thomas Tuchel has not called him up to a squad yet…
ames Garner of Everton applauds during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton at Molineux.
Credit: Getty Images/Simon Stacpoole/Offside.
Leon Osman suggests Everton have England’s best midfielder at the moment in James Garner
Speaking to BBC Sport, the man who made 433 appearances for Everton admitted he feels Garner is currently outdoing every other English midfielder, which would include Jude Bellingham over in Madrid.
Osman said: “I would be amazed if he’s not in this next England squad.
“I’d argue his form’s been better than that of any other midfielder in the role, and I’d certainly put him up against Declan Rice in that conversation, and I think Rice is outstanding.
“I’d be really surprised if Thomas Tuchel doesn’t have a look at him because he also offers such a range of positions as well, which when you’re looking at tournament football, is vital.”
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It won’t be long until Garner discovers whether he has made the England squad for the first time, with Tuchel set to name his selections for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan on Friday 20th March.
Set-piece data proves James Garner could be a real weapon for England at the World Cup
In an era where set-pieces are proving to be a frequent source of goals for Arsenal and many other sides, Tuchel may well opt to call up Garner, who Darren Bent has doubts over, solely due to his prowess from these situations.
We manually grade the execution (not outcome) of every single set-piece cross in the Premier League this season on a scale from -2 to +2 in 0.5 increments.
This is then normalised to a 0-100 score 📊👇 pic.twitter.com/eYH2CprCOs
— Gradient Sports (@Gradient_Sports) March 11, 2026
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As you can see, Gradient Sports have manually assessed the “execution” of all dead ball situations in the Premier League this season, not the outcome, finding that the 24-year-old is the best at executing crosses into the box.
Is James Garner actually better as a full-back or in midfield? 🤔
He's been exceptional just about all season for the Blues!
James Garner of Everton reacts during the Premier League match between Everton and Brighton and Hove Albion at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Credit: Getty Images/Clive Mason.
In a tournament like the World Cup where a set-piece can make all the difference, Garner – who also covers a large amount of distance – is doing his chances of travelling to the United States no harm whatsoever if he maintains this form.
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