Manchester United sold James Garner to Everton back in September 2022.
The academy graduate joined the Toffee’s from Manchester United for a fee believed to be in the region of £15m. He has since become a regular for Everton.
Erik ten Hag decided the midfielder would be surplus to requirements in his first transfer window at the club, opting to ship James Garner out having played just seven times at Old Trafford.
The 22-year-old is now thriving in Merseyside – which is good to see.
READ: Confirmed Manchester United transfers in, out, loan deals for January 2023
James Garner on Erik ten Hag
Garner is also enjoying his time away from Manchester United. In a recent interview with the Liverpool Echo, Garner spoke about his last two years with the Toffees.
The interview also included a lot on the Red Devils, in particular how a conversation went with Ten Hag in which Garner decided it was best if he departed Old Trafford.
He said: “I definitely had conversations with him [Ten Hag] but I’d just come off the back of a good season, probably the best season I possibly could have had so I didn’t want to stagnate and sit on the bench week in, week out.
“Nothing is promised in football but when they start signing three, four midfielders you kind of understand your place. It was a decision that I wanted to make as soon as I went back, to go find first-team football somewhere else.
“He was honest with me, told me what he thought and said nothing was promised. I made a decision, some people might have thought it was the wrong one at the time but I knew it was the right one because I didn’t want to stagnate when I’d just had such a good season, I wanted to go out and prove to everyone and prove to myself that I can play at the top level.”
- READ MORE: Manchester United sold £15m man with ‘a lot of similarities’ to Michael Carrick, says ex-coach
James Garner on Angel Gomes
Much like Garner, there have been many youth players at United who have sought out a permanent move elsewhere in search of game time.
One of these is Angel Gomes, who is tearing up the French League with LOSC Lille. Gomes is one of Garner’s best mates, and the Everton midfielder shared how Gomes’ decision had an impact on his move.
“Angel is my closest mate,” Garner begins. “He and I have been mates since we first met, we speak all the time.
“He had a similar choice to me, a bit earlier in his career and people were saying ‘What’s he doing’ but he’s like me, he just wants to play football and hasn’t lost track of that. He’s not bothered about x, y and z and I feel he’s made the right move, he’s playing every week now.
“I probably spoke to him (about Everton), I can’t quite remember, but we speak all the time. He is someone I would go to for advice because he’s someone who is mature and knows quite a lot.”
Garner is added to an ever-growing list of players smashing it away from Carrington – who will be the next?
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