1. Overview
James David Garner (born 13 March 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Everton. Garner began his career in the Manchester United youth system at the age of eight, making his senior debut for the club at 17 in February 2019. He subsequently gained significant first-team experience through loan spells at Watford and Nottingham Forest, notably helping Forest achieve promotion to the Premier League in the 2021-22 season. In September 2022, he transferred permanently to Everton. Internationally, Garner has represented England at various youth levels, from under-17 to under-21, and was a key part of the squad that won the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
2. Club career
James Garner's club career began in the youth ranks of Manchester United, progressing to senior appearances before gaining valuable experience through loan spells at Watford and Nottingham Forest. He later made a permanent move to Everton, where he has continued to develop his role as a central midfielder.
2.1. Manchester United
James Garner's journey at Manchester United spanned his formative years in the academy, where he honed his skills and transitioned positions, culminating in his debut for the senior team and subsequent involvement in pre-season tours and European competitions.
2.1.1. Youth career
Born in Birkenhead, Merseyside, James Garner joined the Manchester United Academy at under-8 level. He initially played as a centre-back until the age of 15, before transitioning into a midfield role. Garner made his first appearances for the Manchester United Under-18s at the end of the 2016-17 season, coming on as a substitute in matches against Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers. He signed as an academy scholar in July 2017 and became a regular for the Under-18s during the 2017-18 season, scoring four goals in 24 appearances across all competitions. His contributions helped Manchester United win the Premier League North title. However, he missed the final of that competition against Chelsea due to international duty. Additionally, he made eight appearances for the Manchester United Under-19s, helping them reach the round of 16 in the 2017-18 UEFA Youth League before their elimination by local rivals Liverpool. In May 2018, Garner signed his first professional contract with the club.
2.1.2. Senior career
James Garner's involvement with the Manchester United first team began during the club's summer 2018 tour of the United States. He started in a match against San Jose Earthquakes on 22 July, being replaced by Scott McTominay at half-time. He also made substitute appearances against Real Madrid on 1 August and Bayern Munich on 5 August. Although named on the bench for a 2018-19 UEFA Champions League group stage match against Valencia on 12 December and a 2018-19 FA Cup Third Round tie against Reading on 5 January 2019, he remained an unused substitute in both games.
On 27 February 2019, at the age of 17, Garner made his first-team debut, coming on as a 90th-minute substitute for Fred in a 3-1 Premier League away victory against Crystal Palace. Shortly after, on 15 March, he signed a contract extension that secured his stay at United until June 2022, with an option for an additional year.
Garner again joined the first team for their summer tour in 2019, alongside fellow academy talents Angel Gomes, Tahith Chong, and Mason Greenwood. In the first pre-season game against Perth Glory on 13 July, he came on as an 83rd-minute substitute and scored his first senior goal within two minutes of his arrival, with a low drive from outside the box into the bottom right corner. On 24 October 2019, he made his European debut for Manchester United in a UEFA Europa League match against Partizan. In total, Garner made seven first-team appearances for Manchester United.
2.2. Loans
To gain further first-team experience and continue his development, James Garner embarked on several loan spells, first with Watford and then with Nottingham Forest, where he played a crucial role in their return to the Premier League.
2.2.1. Watford
In September 2020, James Garner signed a season-long loan deal with EFL Championship club Watford. During his time at the club, he made 21 appearances across all competitions. However, he fell out of first-team contention following the appointment of Xisco Muñoz as Watford's head coach. Consequently, his loan agreement was terminated on 30 January 2021.
2.2.2. Nottingham Forest
On 30 January 2021, immediately after his loan at Watford was terminated, Garner joined fellow EFL Championship club Nottingham Forest on loan for the remainder of the season. He scored his first goal for the club on 26 February 2021 in a 1-1 draw against arch-rivals Derby County at Pride Park Stadium.
Following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, Garner returned to Manchester United for pre-season training. However, after extending his contract with Manchester United, he rejoined Nottingham Forest for another season-long loan on 22 August 2021. During the 2021-22 season, Garner played a pivotal role in helping Nottingham Forest secure promotion to the Premier League for the 2022-23 season. He featured prominently in their successful Championship play-off final victory at Wembley Stadium in May 2022. In total, he made 69 appearances and scored 8 goals for Nottingham Forest across his two loan spells.
2.3. Everton
On 1 September 2022, James Garner completed a permanent transfer to Everton, signing a four-year deal. The transfer fee was widely reported to be around 9.00 M GBP, with potential add-ons that could increase the total to 15.00 M GBP. This move generated significant negative reactions from some Manchester United fans.
Garner made his debut for Everton as a substitute on 9 October 2022, in a 2-1 home defeat against his former club, Manchester United. His first goal for Everton came on 27 September 2023, in a 2-1 away victory over Aston Villa in the third round of the EFL Cup. Shortly thereafter, on 7 October, he scored his inaugural Premier League goal in a 3-0 home win against Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
3. International career
James Garner has been a consistent presence in the England youth setup, representing his country across multiple age groups and participating in significant international tournaments, culminating in a major championship victory with the Under-21 squad.
3.1. Youth teams
James Garner has extensively represented England at various youth levels, including the under-17, under-18, under-19, and under-20 teams, accumulating more than 30 appearances for the national youth squads.
He captained the England U-17 side that reached the semi-finals of the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where they were ultimately defeated by the Netherlands. On 13 October 2020, Garner made his debut for the England U-20 team in a 2-0 victory over Wales at St. George's Park.
3.2. Under-21 team
On 27 August 2021, James Garner received his first call-up to the England U-21 team. He made his debut for the squad on 7 September 2021, featuring in a 2-0 victory over Kosovo at Stadium MK during the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification campaign. On 14 June 2023, Garner was officially included in the England squad for the main 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship tournament. The Young Lions went on to win the championship, securing the title on 9 July 2023.
4. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United U21 | 2019-20 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 2020-21 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||||
| Manchester United | 2018-19 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019-20 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | ||
| Watford (loan) | 2020-21 | Championship | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||
| Total | - | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | |||
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 2020-21 | Championship | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 20 | 4 | ||
| 2021-22 | Championship | 41 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 49 | 4 | ||
| Total | - | 61 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 69 | 8 | ||
| Everton | 2022-23 | Premier League | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2023-24 | Premier League | 37 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 44 | 2 | |||
| 2024-25 | Premier League | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | |||
| Total | - | 63 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | - | - | 73 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 146 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 173 | 11 | ||
5. Honours
5.1. Team honours
- Nottingham Forest
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2022
- England U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2023
5.2. Individual honours
- Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year: 2019-20
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2023