Stuart Pearce was left impressed after James Garner shone on his England debut in a 1-1 draw against Uruguay.
The Everton No.37 was given a start by Thomas Tuchel at Wembley, and was impressively amongst the standout performers despite his lack of experience on the senior international scene.
After James Garner made a name for himself in the Three Lions camp – winning the Man of the Match award for his display – Pearce shared his verdict with talkSPORT.
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.
James Garner should be proud of his performance against Uruguay, says Stuart Pearce
Discussing the draw against Uruguay, the man who won 78 caps for England said: “I thought (Harry) Maguire had done okay. I thought (James) Trafford did okay out of it. I thought (Cole) Palmer gave us something when he come off the bench, and Garner – for his first game – will be pleased with his work as well.”
It was largely a starting XI made up of players Tuchel feels have something to prove before he decides whether they fly to the United States this summer, including Fikayo Tomori, Trafford, Tino Livramento, Dominic Solanke and Garner – who Declan Rice praised – himself.
The others still have a lot to prove, but the Everton maestro has unquestionably put himself firmly in contention for the World Cup with his impressive display – in which he made four key passes, three crosses and six defensive actions in his 69 minutes of action.
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Tuchel praised Garner and even made a comparison to Federico Valverde after the game, which was a lofty compliment considering the Real Madrid No.8 is arguably one of the best midfielders on the planet.
The German said: “Jimmy is a good football player, first of all. Very clean in everything he does, fast, has a lot of volume, covers a lot of ground. He helps everyone around him and makes everyone else better… James Garner is our mini Valverde.”
What did you make of Jimmy’s England debut? 🏴
Get that man on the plane this summer! 🏆
James Garner makes his England debut vs Uruguay at Wembley Stadium.
Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
So, barring a disastrous end to the season for the 25-year-old, we feel pretty confident he will be involved in the United States this summer after a mature display against Uruguay.
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