Everton's James Garner is having an outstanding season in the Premier League and simply must be in Thomas Tuchel's 26-man England squad for the World Cup.
The 25-year-old could receive his first senior cap against Uruguay on Friday and few would argue against his inclusion in the squad.
Speaking to the media following his call-up, the Everton man spoke about wanting to replicate his success with the U21s - where he won the European Championships - at senior level, and I believe he should be given a chance to do so by being a guarantee for this summer's showpiece, as England look to win number two.
Versatility
A key part of building a World Cup squad is having depth and balance.
Therefore, having players that can deputise in multiple areas of the pitch at a high level is hugely beneficial to a manager. James Milner, Ashley Young and Eric Dier have all been utilised in different positions successfully for England, but none have as many strings in their bow as James Garner.
Birkenhead's own has featured in a multitude of roles for Everton without looking out of place.
While primarily playing deeper in midfield, he has operated at times as a more forward thinking central midfielder, on both the right and left flank AND on both sides of the defence at right back and left back.
Cast your mind back to the beginning of the season, a surging run from left back saw him latch on to a Jack Grealish pass and rifle one into the bottom left corner in Everton's 2-0 victory over Brighton, displaying his ability to not only stand in out of position, but to contribute with goals.
Then, take a look at the England U21's European Championship winning campaign. Garner lined up as a fluid right back who was tasked with stepping into the midfield to offer support when the Young Lions were in possession, before dropping back to full back when possession turned over.
If Thomas Tuchel ends up in the midst of an injury crisis, or a host of players suffering from fatigue in the US, Mexican and Canadian heat this summer, there is no better player to have at his disposal than James Garner.
Form
Take Harry Kane out of the equation, who is currently in with a shout of being the best player in the world, then there is a case for Garner being the most in-form England player in the squad ahead of the March internationals.
The midfielder has three assists in his last four matches, with the Toffees going on to win on every occasion, and has been nominated for March's Premier League Player of the Month award.
Not only this, but he has a knack of contributing in attack, defence and transition, at the heart of an Everton side still very much in the mix to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season - a far cry from the past four or five seasons.
Everton's maestro is fourth in the Premier League assists table, while also dominating the midfield from a defensive standpoint - second for tackles won and interceptions, on top of other things.
Season Statistics
Statistic | Quantity | Premier League Rank |
Interceptions | 48 | 2nd |
Tackles Won | 54 | 2nd |
Ground Duels | 82 | 2nd |
Assists | 6 | =4th |
Crosses | 166 | 2nd |
Minutes Played | 2783 | 2nd (9 players in 1st) |
Stats taken from FBRef and are correct as of 26/03/2026.
As seen in the above, Garner has missed just six minutes of Premier League football this term - only two outfield players have seen more action in Virgil van Dijk and Nikola Milenkovic, and they have played every minute.
Reliability is another major asset at the World Cup. Having players who you can rely on not to pick up knocks and play through fatigue while remaining at a high level is a must, especially for a tournament held in the midst of the summer in the USA, Mexico and Canada, where heat and humidity will play a big part.
Outside of Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson, no midfielder in the league is contributing so much at both ends of the pitch, which should give Garner the leap on his rivals for a squad role.
Set Pieces
England's squad is going to contain a host of set-piece threats this summer, with Kane, Maguire, Rice, Burn and more all touted to make the final squad.
It is therefore a must that Tuchel selects a handful of players that can put a good ball into the box for said threats to attack.
Who better than the man chosen by David Moyes to find the heads of Everton's giant team who, by no coincidence, are joint-third for set-piece goals this term.
Tasked with whipping the ball into the likes of Jake O'Brien, Beto and James Tarkowski from corners, free-kicks and even open play (a reminder he is second in the Premier league for crosses into the box), it is no surprise that Garner is the Toffees' top assist maker thus far.
Making him a prime candidate to come on and launch balls into the box if the Three Lions are chasing a game.
Tuchel seems settled on a midfield of Elliott Anderson and Declan Rice, which is hard to make a case against and probably the midfield I would opt to start with.
Though Garner is more than qualified to be a part of the 26-man squad, and should be.
It is up to him to take any chance that comes his way in the March international break, but that won't be a problem if he is even half the player he has been for David Moyes' men this campaign.
