Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Everton midfielder James Garner was in action for England last night.
James Garner was a late call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s squad after a few England players pulled out of the camp.
The Everton star was an unused substitute against Czechia, but Tuchel decided to bring him off the bench in the 7-0 win against Croatia.
Garner came on for Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, and Sofascore have just published his statistics from the 20-minute cameo.
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James Garner’s stats for England vs Croatia
Garner was only on the pitch for 20 minutes on Saturday evening, but he made a positive impact as he was really proficient in possession of the ball.
The 25-year-old maintained a 94% pass completion rate and made five carries, so perhaps he’s put himself in the frame to start the next match against Czechia.
20 minutes played
23 touches
18 passes
94% pass completion rate
5 carries
1 tackle
1 interception
6.7 match rating
Tuchel has been a long-term admirer of Garner as he labelled the Toffees star ‘mini Valverde’ earlier this year, referring to the world class Real Madrid midfielder.
“I’m very happy (with Garner) – he’s our mini Valverde,” Tuchel said in March.
“He’s getting there, and he played very, very good. I was quite sure that he will play good because he has this natural confidence and he’s just very physical. He won a lot of balls.”
Whilst Moyes would like Garner to get more opportunities with England, there will be a part of him that’s happy as he’s less likely to pick up an injury.
The former Man United man underwent groin surgery in the summer, so Everton’s medical team will be keen to manage his load and avoid a recurrence of the injury.
England have one final game this international break, as they host Czechia at Wembley on Tuesday night.
Garner will then return to Finch Farm ahead of the away trip to Hull City on Sunday, so it’s a quick turnaround to Premier League action.