It came from Thomas Tuchel in March after the England manager had watched the Everton midfielder impress on his international debut against Uruguay. He was up against Federico Valverde and Tuchel went big with his praise. Garner was a “mini Valverde”, he said after the 1-1 draw at Wembley.
It was surely too much, despite the prefix that Tuchel attached, yet it was possible to see where he was coming from. Like Valverde, Garner wants to operate in central midfield but he can play at right-back or on the wing. And like Valverde, who they called El Pajarito – or the Little Bird – when he was a kid, Garner can sometimes fly a bit under the radar.
Is Valverde the most underrated player in the game? The more the question is asked, the more the point is lost but there is certainly something there. I watch a lot of football.
I watch all the Champions League games and he always stands out. So yeah, I would go as far as saying that he’s underrated. In my opinion, he’s one of the best midfielders in the world.” The pros know.
And within the game, there is a burgeoning appreciation of Garner, who located such outstanding form at Everton from the turn of the year that he won his first England call-up and was considered unlucky to miss out on the World Cup squad. In the end, Tuchel went with Jordan Henderson and Kobbie Mainoo as the midfield back-ups to Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson. Henderson played six minutes as a substitute during the tournament; Mainoo not at all.
I respect his decision and it just makes you hungrier.” The 25-year-old is back in the squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures, albeit as a late call-up after the withdrawals of Rice and Mainoo. Henderson was not picked on fitness grounds. Tuchel recalled Alex Scott and Myles Lewis-Skelly in his original selection and continues to overlook Adam Wharton.
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