Tarkowski heaps praise on ‘technically outstanding’ Everton teammate Garner | OneFootball

Everton have enjoyed a promising start to the 2025/26 campaign, with the Toffees eyeing a return to the top half of the Premier League table and a place in Europe.

Defender James Tarkowski reflected on the year and singled out his teammate James Garner for praise following some excellent performances in the engine room.

Tarkowski said (via Everton’s official website): “Oh, he’s been outstanding. I mean, we all knew how good Jimmy was since the moment he signed here.

“He’s had a couple of setbacks with longer-term injuries when he’s missed probably two, three months of football.

“But now you’re seeing him week in, week out and how good he is. And you can put him anywhere. He can literally play any position on the pitch, and he’d play out of his skin.

“He’s physically really good, technically outstanding, makes great decisions, affects the game going forward and also defensively.  He’s got everything, so we’re lucky to have him.”

Garner has been a crucial cog for Everton manager David Moyes, featuring in all 17 Premier League games this term.

He keeps things ticking for the Merseyside club in the double pivot and has shown remarkable versatility by filling in at right-back when Moyes needed him to.

An England call-up should be on the horizon for Garner if he maintains this level of performance.

The Toffees are also reportedly trying to tie him down to a new deal, and rightly so after his recent showings. He can be a cornerstone of the team for years to come.