James Garner played all but six minutes of Everton's Premier League campaign last season, and the latest return to Tottenham looked like a continuation of that status. He topped the club for successful passes, tackles and interceptions, and also provided the most assists and chances. That is the profile of a midfielder David Moyes now talks about as a leader.

Garner's all-round role

BBC pundit Thomas Frank did not need much time to spot what was going on at Tottenham. "Garner today was extremely good," he said on Match of the Day. He added: "He is aware; he's talking; he's organising." For a player Everton signed from Manchester United for an initial fee of £9m in 2022, that is a long way from being treated as a squad filler.

Frank's other point was the one Everton fans will recognise. "In a high-press situation, he does the recovery, and that's just so exceptional and so important when you are playing against a team who are dominating you." Garner was also described as someone who is "a lot on the ball" and through whom "a lot of things are happening". Ashley Williams backed that view, saying: "If you're a centre-back behind him, he's the type of midfielder you want."

The usage is doing plenty of work too. Garner has already made 4 Premier League appearances this season and played 240 minutes, with a 6.68 average rating. Against Tottenham, he posted a 6.8 rating and completed 90 minutes. Everton are getting a player they can trust to do the running, the organising and the passing in the same game.

England attention and Everton's reliance

Thomas Tuchel has already given the broader verdict on Garner with his "mini Valverde" line. After his England debut against Uruguay in March, Tuchel said: "He played very, very good. I was quite sure that he will play good because he has this natural confidence and he's just very physical. He won a lot of balls." That sort of praise does not land on a player being seen as one-dimensional.

Moyes has been just as direct about how the midfielder has grown. "When I came in, I still saw a bit of a boy and I think I now see someone who's turning into a really good leader as well, beginning to take a bit more responsibility and grow up and begin to start to act like a real midfield player," he said. Moyes also added: "He's been fantastic since I came in" and "I didn't realise probably how good he was. He's been so good."

The contract situation only makes Everton's reliance clearer. Garner signed a new deal in January that keeps him at the club until 2030, after Chelsea made a £65m bid on deadline day this summer and Everton rejected it. With 17 fit senior outfield players available at the moment, they cannot afford to lose a midfielder who tops so many of their internal numbers and now carries leadership as well as workload.

The Tottenham outing did not settle every argument around Garner, but it did reinforce the one Everton care about most. He is starting games, playing major minutes and carrying more of the build-up than anyone else in the squad, with Brighton away next in the league on 19 September.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →