Credit: Manh Tung/Breaking Media

Daniel Davis

Sat 28 March 2026 11:10, UK

James Garner caught the eye on his England debut on Friday night, with the Everton man earning a comparison to Federico Valverde from Thomas Tuchel.

The midfielder played 69 minutes of the Three Lions’ 1-1 draw with Uruguay at Wembley, having impressed the national team boss during training earlier in the week.

Garner outperformed his more experienced team-mate Jordan Henderson in the centre of the pitch, showcasing the type of form that has made him a revelation on Merseyside.

Post-match, Tuchel declared that the 25-year-old was his “mini-Valverde”, a glowing statement indeed after the Real Madrid superstar’s recent heroics for both club and country.

After the international break, Garner will turn his attention to Everton’s crucial Premier League run-in, and he will know he is already a certainty for a World Cup spot.

How James Garner compared to Federico Valverde

While Tuchel likening Garner to Valverde will raise eyebrows, a look at the statistics of both midfielders at Wembley proves that the comparison is hardly outrageous.

According to Sofascore, the former was near faultless on his senior bow after completing 37 of his 40 passes (93 per cent), with 27 of 28 in the Uruguay half finding their target.

Garner took 59 touches altogether while recording four key passes, and his numbers at the other end were just as impressive. Indeed, he registered six defensive contributions in total.

Pitted against the Everton sensation, Valverde made 41 passes altogether with an identical 93 per cent hit rate, but found his team-mates less inside the opponent’s half.

The 27-year-old also had 59 touches – another eerie coincidence – while making four defensive contributions in 90 minutes, consisting of one tackle and three interceptions.

Valverde’s telling contribution, of course, was his stoppage-time equaliser from the penalty spot following Ben White’s foul, but Garner matched him stride for stride before coming off.

While Tuchel will be determined to keep the midfielder’s feet firmly planted on the ground, his outing against Uruguay suggests he will have a crucial part to play at the World Cup.

Garner nailed on for World Cup squad

The media universally praised Garner for his debut performance – and rightly so.

He was calm on the ball and snapped into a string of challenges, looking to break up the play just as he does so successfully for Everton. It was just a shame he didn’t play the full 90.

Regardless, he would have been able to reflect on a job very well done after taking his seat on the bench, having outshone the majority – if not all – of his Three Lions team-mates.

While his performance did not stray into spectacular territory, it was steady and uncomplicated. Fortunately, that is exactly what Tuchel will be looking for this summer.