Everton star James Garner reveals career turning point after landing dream England call

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James Garner admits he treated this season with a make-or-break attitude that has seen him rewarded with an England call-up. The Everton midfielder, 25, has been one of the Premier League ’s most consistent performers over the past seven months and is now widely tipped to make the cut for Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.

But after signing from Manchester United in September, 2022, Garner endured a frustrating time with injury and form before establishing himself as a key figure in Everton’s revival under David Moyes . His emergence as one of the country’s most versatile talents - Garner has proved to be an effective right-back on occasions - earned the 25-year-old a new deal at Everton that keeps him at Hill Dickinson Stadium until the summer of 2030.

But Garner had started Everton’s 2025/26 campaign, believing he had an awful lot to prove. A place at World Cup 2026 certainly seemed a long way off.

Garner, who was part of the England Euro-winning under-21 squad in 2023, said: “I told myself at the start of the season that this season has to be the season that I can show everyone what I can do. Since I signed for Everton, I’ve had quite unlucky spells with two serious back injuries so that obviously put me out for a long time.

“Then, the first three years we’ve been fighting near the relegation zone. So, it’s been quite tough for me to really showcase what I can do.

“I just thought to myself this season is a fresh season, with a new manager, a new stadium. And with a year left on my contract as well, I knew I had to show everybody what I’m really about and showcase all my talents.

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“I’m glad this season is going as well as it is. I set really high standards for myself and I know for those first three years I was not up to the levels that I know I can be at.

“I knew there were levels to go and I think there are still even more. I’m trying every single day to get better and try to reach those levels.”

And Garner believes his vote of approval from Tuchel reflects the positivity around Everton in their first season in their new state-of-the-art riverside home. He went on: “Since David Moyes came in, with his staff, the club has come in leaps and bounds.

"I’m very thankful for all the help he has given me since he came in. The manager has put the belief in the players.

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"We all bond well - going forward, there’s no reason why we can’t be in the top half of the table and competing for the European spots. I’m hoping for my first cap and if Everton can finish in a European spot, it would be one special season.”

For his part in that triumph at the under-21 Euros, Lee Carsley was due to give Garner a special golden cap during this senior camp. And Garner has a dream of following that honour with something even more special.

He said: “For me, that was probably one of the best feelings I’ve had in football. So I just want to go one step further now and hopefully win a trophy for the first team as well.”