England midfielder James Garner believes he may never have played for England had he stayed at Manchester United.
United academy graduate Garner is pushing for a spot as Elliot Anderson’s midfield partner against Spain in the Nations League on Saturday after Arsenal’s Declan Rice withdrew from Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
He caught Tuchel’s eye with a series of performances for Everton last season and narrowly missed out on World Cup selection after being man of the match on his debut against Uruguay in March.
Back in the squad as a late replacement, Garner believes leaving his boyhood club was the decision that set him on the right path.
‘I think it was the perfect thing for me to do,’ he said.
‘I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason. When I left they signed three or four midfielders, world class ones. Had I stayed I wouldn’t have been where I am today so I am more than happy that I did.
James Garner has lauded his ‘perfect’ Everton move after earning a spot in the England camp
Garner, who came through United’s academy, says he may not have made the Three Lions squad had he not left Old Trafford
‘I’ve never been shy of going into a more uncomfortable place.
‘I went on loan three times. I went to Watford and then twice to Nottingham.
‘So I wasn’t worried about moving at all, changing scenery or anything that.
‘For me, it was just about playing games and Everton was the perfect choice at that point.
‘I didn’t just want to fizzle into the background and just sit on the bench and stuff like that. I wanted to go into a team where I felt like I had a chance to fight for my position and that’s what I have done in the past three or four years.’
Garner, 25, describes the United academy as ‘the best in the world’. He joined when he was 8 and didn’t move to Everton until he was 21. Garner made two Premier League appearances and also played for United in the Europa League.
Now a fixture in David Moyes’ Everton team, a midfielder who started out as a central defender and worshipped United’s Nemanja Vidic is hoping he can nail down a place in Tuchel’s squad for good.
He had just checked in to a hotel in Turkey on holiday at the weekend when he received a call telling him he was being called up as a replacement.
Garner is looking to make an impact after earning a late call up to Thomas Tuchel’s squad
‘It was a very short holiday,’ he laughed.
‘I had literally just got into my hotel room and I got the call. That’s not an over exaggeration either.
‘I came back the day after. I slept, had the morning in the sun and left.
‘I’m trying to work on a little thing on the hotel so that I’m not losing all my money!
‘So I can at least go back and have the holiday that I paid for. We’ll see what happens…’
Dubbed the ‘mini Valverde’ by Tuchel after the Real Madrid midfielder Federico, Garner has played left-back for Everton but sees his future in the centre of the field.
‘Yeah, it’s a good comparison to have because in my opinion he’s one of the best midfielders in the world,’ Garner said.
‘There’s probably a little bit of similarity in terms of he plays in different positions too.’
