Manchester United and England icon Wayne Rooney has reacted to the stunning exploits of James Garner at Everton after the 3-0 win over Chelsea at the weekend.
Wayne Rooney was in the tail end of his legendary Manchester United playing spell amid James Garner’s rise in the Red Devils youth academy at Old Trafford.
United’s all-time leading scorer would leave the Premier League club in 2017 and midfielder Garner would later make his first-team appearance for the Red Devils.
However, Garner managed only seven appearances for the United senior team before the Red Devils sanctioned the sale of the 25-year-old midfield talent.
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James Garner is challenged by Matheus Cunha during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
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Manchester United academy star Jim Thwaites playing in the Under-18s.
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Wayne Rooney explains why Man Utd’s youth academy ‘DNA’ is clear as day in Everton midfielder James Garner
Everton snapped up James Garner for an undisclosed fee at the time in 2022 after the former Manchester United player finished his loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
It is believed that the Toffees paid United a reported initial £9m transfer fee, including further add-ons that would take the deal to a £15m value in total.
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Garner has been able to establish himself at Everton and the former Watford and Nottingham Forest midfielder has secured regular playing time at the Toffees.
The Toffees star impressed Wayne Rooney in Everton’s win over Chelsea on Saturday and his status as a United youth academy product stood right out.
“I think he does everything well,” he said on BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show.
“His ability on the ball. Obviously, I’ve seen him since he was a young lad and his ability on the ball, his set-piece deliveries, his tackling is, you know […].
“People say this and you might understand it when you’re young. He’s a player who you look at and you know he’s come through Man United’s academy.”
United legend Rooney added: “So, there’s [sic] players who you know, when you look at them, you can ask scouts, coaches.
“You know which players have come through Man United’s academy because they do everything right. The attitude, how they’re tackling, how they’re running.
“It’s rarely evident when you see it. And he’s a player who, and that’s a massive compliment to him, that he does everything well.
“There were concerns when he was younger about his mobility of getting around the pitch, but I think he’s put all that to bed.”
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Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney reacts to the importance of James Garner for Everton now
United fans were unhappy with the Red Devils’ decision to sanction the sale of the highly rated Garner in the first place after he climbed through the academy ranks.
Garner has become important to Everton now and the former Red Devils midfielder extended his future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium by signing a new deal in January.
Speaking on Garner, Rooney added: “He looks like he’s one of the fittest on the pitch and he’s a big lad as well.
‘I don’t think people realise how tall he is. So, I think he’s got everything going for him and for Everton, obviously, he just signed a five-year deal, I think.
“That’s great business for Everton because he’ll be such an important player over the next five years.”
Garner’s new deal will run through to June 2030 after the Everton player put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year contract at the Premier League club.
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