England U21s head coach heaps praise on impressive James Garner, highlighting Everton depth
James Garner is doing everything he can to impress Everton boss Frank Lampard; putting in a scintillating display for the England U21s on Tuesday evening.
The youngster has impressed England U21s boss Lee Carsley, who has been utilising the talented midfielder in his star-studded team.
Carsley admitted that he hoped “Everton watched” Garner on Tuesday evening and there’s no doubt Lampard and his coaching staff will have had a close eye on the starlet.
Speaking via The Athletic, Carsley heaped praise on Garner, confessing the midfielder can play in a “variety of roles”; a priceless trait the Blues can reap the rewards of.
“James did really well,” Carsley said.
“You always worry when players have a lack of minutes but he came into camp in really good condition. Hopefully, Everton will have watched him and he’ll have put himself in a better position (to play more regularly).
“He’s an all-round box-to-box midfielder. He can play a variety of roles and has a lot of attributes. If you can be mobile, get around the pitch and play six as well then it really helps because of the ground you can cover.”
Depth.
Now is the time for Lampard to start making the most of Garner’s talent; he’s ready to take on the Premier League head-on.
He showed his class in the Championship last season in Nottingham Forest’s promotion push and is now shining on the international stage for the U21s.
The youngster faces stiff competition for a starting spot in the Blue’s midfield, but it’s great to see the depth Lampard now has at his disposal in the engine room.
Alex Iwobi, Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gana Gueye are currently Lampard’s favoured midfield three and rightly so, they have been terrific together this campaign.
But that by no means leaves Garner without a chance of making his mark; he can be rotated into the team perfectly when needed and offers the Blues midfield a different dimension.
Garner has the ability to nick the ball off attackers and reignite Everton attacks; this can be useful to use off the bench when opposition players are getting tired.
Lampard now needs to show some trust in Garner, whether it’s from the bench or in a starting position, he can play a useful role in Everton’s midfield this season.