Summary
Everton's James Garner could play "a much bigger role in midfield this year" if the club sign a fullback this summer, and should he do that, he could "have a big season", claims journalist Paul Brown.
Everton News – what does the future hold for James Garner?
It was a tough first season at the Toffees for the Birkenhead-born prospect last year.
Having joined from Manchester United in September, he spent his first two Premier League games at the club sitting on the bench before making his debut in a 2-1 loss to his former side on the ninth of October.
He would go on to feature in the next five league games for the club before suffering a back injury that meant he wouldn't play a minute of the following 14 league matches until finally making his return against Tottenham Hotspur on the third of April this year.
The 6 foot 1 midfielder endured yet more disruption in the closing weeks of the season when he was asked to fill in as a makeshift right-back following the injuries to both Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson, something he did better than most would've expected of him, as he even played there during the club's crucial final day victory over Bournemouth – a win that secured safety.
Being moved around the pitch to a position that is not your own is something that might cause a player to down tools or moan to the press, but in Garner's case, he seems grateful just to be playing, as in May, he said:
"If I am chosen to play there, I will be more than happy. I feel comfortable switching positions. From defence to midfield, midfield to right-back. I feel ready and more than capable of doing it."
While he might be happy to play where he is told to, journalist Paul Brown believes that moving back into midfield in the event of a new fullback joining the club would be best for the youngster.
What did Paul Brown say about James Garner and Everton?
Brown was keen to praise Garner for his performances last season and pointed out that if the club sign any fullbacks over the summer, he could potentially have a big year in the middle of the park next season.
Speaking to Football Fancast, he said: "I actually think he did really well anyway towards the end of last season, but depending where he plays if they get the fullback positions sorted out, I think you could see James Garner playing a much bigger role in midfield this year. And it'd be nice, as injuries kind of hampered his momentum a little bit last year. It'd be nice if he got in and broke through.
"I think there's potential there for him to have a big season as well."
How good was James Garner last season?
As Brown points out, it was a season hampered by injury last year for Garner. The 14 games he missed between November and February made it hard for him to develop any sort of positive momentum through the season.
That said, when he did play, he was able to show glimpses of quality, even if he never quite reached levels higher than his teammates.
According to WhoScored, across the 16 league games he did play, he averaged a rating of 6.43, picking up one assist and maintaining a pass accuracy of 80.9%.
While those statistics aren't anything to write home about, it's essential to look at them with the added context of a highly dysfunctional Everton side and that he was playing a lot of those final games in an unfamiliar position.
His underlying numbers are, again, fairly average, but within the context of a new position, they're decent enough.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the "highly rated" 22-year-old sits in the top 22% for aerial duals won, the top 24% for clearances, the top 26% for interceptions, the top 34% for assists, and the top 37% for non-penalty expected goals, all per 90.
Ultimately, while he did a good job as a temporary fullback for the team, should Everton bring in proper reinforcements in that area, Garner should be doing everything he can to stake a claim back in the midfield, and then we might see him reach the potential he has.