Who is James Garner? The Man Utd starlet tipped as the ‘next Carrick’

Robin Bairner
Robin Bairner
  • 30 Oct 2021 10:55 BST
  • 5 min read
James Garner, Nottingham Forest Man Utd, Football Manager Wonderkid
© ProShots

James Garner is the latest player from the Manchester United academy hoping to make it to the big time.

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The 20-year-old has been sent on loan to Nottingham Forest for the 2021/22 season in a repeat of a move that saw him spend the second half of the previous campaign at the City Ground.

Indeed, Garner has already featured sporadically in Man Utd’s first team and will hope his additional experience in the Championship will act as a springboard for more regular football when he ultimately returns to Old Trafford.

What position does James Garner play?

Garner is a defensive midfielder who typically behaves as a box-to-box player but shows strong attributes of a ball winning midfielder.

How good is James Garner?

Having been touted as the ‘next Michael Carrick’ at Man Utd, there are clearly significant expectations of Garner at the club.

Carrick, of course, was a no-thrills midfielder who graduated to become a coach in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom staff and if Garner can enjoy a similar level of career, he will have done very well for himself indeed.

His label has meant that much is expected of him by Man Utd fans, though at this early stage of his career, that would appear to be rather unfair.

Garner might have had a slow start to 2021/22 but manager Steve Cooper has been full of praise for him.

“Last year’s loan was really important for him,” he said. “Time at United was obviously really important for him in pre-season. And now he’s got another important period for him, where he will benefit - but obviously we will benefit as well, from having him here.

“Jimmy is a typical young player; really keen on doing the best for himself and progressing. He really cares about how he plays and how he can progress.”

Meanwhile, he made his debut for England Under-21s against Kosovo in September.

What clubs are interested in James Garner?

For now, Garner is staying at Man Utd and there is no clear interest otherwise.

How old is James Garner?

James Garner’s birthday is 13 March, 2001. He is 20 years old.

What is James Garner’s height?

Garner is 1.82m or 5ft 11in tall.

What football boots does James Garner wear?

Garner wears Adidas X Speedflow.1 football boots.

What is James Garner’s Instagram?

James Garner’s Instagram account can be found here. He has 317k followers as of October 2021.

Who is James Garner’s girlfriend?

Garner is not currently dating anyone publicly.

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