Sky Sports pundit wowed by ‘outstanding’ James Garner live on air after what he did in Everton 3-0 win v Bournemouth
Sue Smith was impressed with what Everton midfielder James Garner did during the first half of their clash against Bournemouth on Saturday 7 October.
The 22-year-old midfielder opened the scoring for the Toffees on eight minutes as he set his side on the way towards claiming a 3-0 victory over the Cherries at Goodison Park.
The Toffees secured their first home victory of the campaign and the first time they scored more than two goals in 17 games under Sean Dyche’s tutelage.
And Sky Sports pundit Smith, speaking live on air on The Football Show alongside Stephen Warnock in their post-match reaction (9 October, 12:39pm) was impressed by Garner’s technical quality, energy alongside Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure in midfield.
She said: “I think the key point was scoring that first goal which they did and Bournemouth, obviously it was a mistake from them which let James Garner in, but I thought he was outstanding.
“He, he played more central and it, we actually spoke about it, didn’t we Stephen? And we said that the balance of that midfield three probably Sean Dyer fell upon it a little bit because Idrissa guy got injured in the warm-up.
“They played an Onana, Garner with Doucoure just in front, and it just worked but his composure, his quality on the ball, technical ability, energy, everything about his, his performance I thought was outstanding.”
What a player
The 22-year-old Birkenhead-born midfielder joined from Manchester United in a £15m (Sky Sports, 2 September 2022) but only featured sparingly for the Toffees last season, playing just 16 games in a rather difficult and disappointing Premier League season, with most of those appearances coming from the bench (9) (SofaScore).
Garner also had to endure 89 days of last season out with an unfortunate back injury (Transfermarkt) which will have certainly left questions over Frank Lampard’s decision to sign him, at a considerable price of £15m for a player who barely played first-team football for Manchester United.
However, fast forward several months and the Old Trafford academy graduate is finally proving what Lampard saw in him with some stellar performances for Dyche already this season, most notably in Everton’s last few games.
The 22-year-old has added some much-needed injection of quality, technical acumen and aggression to Dyche’s midfield and it’s why he has swiftly become one of the first names on the Everton teamsheet these past few weeks.
Guardian journalist Andy Hunter, writing for the UK publication (29 September) believes that Garner has now become an “integral” component of Dyche’s team at Goodison Park and is arguably one of the more “astute” signings Everton have made in recent memory.
You certainly can’t argue that opinion right now. Superb player.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are locked in a Premier League battle to sign one of the hottest teenage footballing talents in Brazil with a January exit now possible.