'I didn't realise probably how good he was'

[Getty Images] James Garner joined Everton for an initial fee of only £9m from Manchester United in 2022, having spent the previous season on loan helping Nottingham Forest get promoted to the Premier League. The academy graduate did not make a Premier League start for United. After taking two seasons to settle at Everton under Frank Lampard and then Sean Dyche amid a backdrop of financial problems and points deductions, the 2025-26 campaign proved to be a watershed moment. Garner played all but six minutes of Everton's Premier League campaign to spearhead a European push that lasted for much of the season. In December, Everton travelled to Forest with a depleted squad and won 2-0 to move within four points of the top four. Garner scored Everton's opening goal in a commanding display that underlined his development. Following that win, manager David Moyes said: "When I came in, I still saw a bit of a boy and I think I now see someone who's turning into a really good leader as well, beginning to take a bit more responsibility and grow up and begin to start to act like a real midfield player." The data backs up Garner's growing maturity. He ranked top for a host of metrics for Everton last season, in terms of creativity and physicality, making the most successful passes, tackles and interceptions, but also providing the most assists and engineering the most chances. Perhaps most impressively, he stepped up in the absence of key winger Jack Grealish - four of Garner's seven assists came after Grealish's season was ended by injury in January. "He's been fantastic since I came in," said Moyes. "I didn't realise probably how good he was. He's been so good." [BBC]