‘Ultimately’: £15m Everton man admits Sean Dyche has been playing him out of his best position this season

Everton player James Garner has now indicated what position he really wants to play for the Toffees.

The £15million player has played a variety of roles for Everton since joining the club from Manchester United in the summer of 2022.

Indeed, perhaps a victim of his own versatility, the 22-year-old has played at right-back and on the right wing, and claims to play as a central midfielder “ultimately”. is his favorite role.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo ahead of tonight’s League Cup match at Aston Villa, Garner said:
“Eventually I want to play in the middle of the park.

That’s my natural position, that’s where I always play. This is the position they contracted me for. But for now, I’m happy to be playing and if I have to play, whether it’s right-back, right-wing or hopefully a midfielder, I’m not too worried as long as I’m playing.

I hope I have proven that I can do all three, which is exactly what the manager chooses to do.

James Garner appears to be an indispensable cog in the Everton machine

Sean Dyche has generally favored the midfield trio of Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucouré since his appointment in January, and Everton’s precarious position last season left little room for experimentation.

However, Garner’s technical qualities and ability to pass the ball wide make him the ideal candidate to play centrally for the Toffees in the long run.

Indeed, the Birkenhead-born star showed his quality last weekend in Everton’s 3-1 win over Brentford, assisting Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 20th-minute goal.

The 22-year-old’s persistence saw him gain possession deep in Brentford’s half and immediately play a defense-breaking pass to Calvert-Lewin, who calmly finished the game for the Toffees. Everton have lacked this type of effective passing in central midfield for several years and James Garner could be the long-term solution for the Blues.

FIND OUT MORE…………

Everton midfielder Andre Gomes could have an Achilles problem and miss the match against Aston Villa – Injury expert

According to doctor Rajpal Brar, Everton midfielder Andre Gomes may have a more serious problem than just a calf injury.
The injury expert has reacted to Sean Dyche’s comments about the Portugal international as he described his absence as a ‘calf strain’.

However, the 30-year-old is not expected to miss any weeks because of this and it could even mean an Achilles concern, although this has not been confirmed.

Discussing his situation exclusively with Goodison News, Brar, a physiotherapist and sports scientist, said:

“Based on not playing this season, unless it’s a purely managerial decision, it looks like an obvious injury rather than just a tight calf.

“Calf injuries are also very fragile and susceptible to re-injury. “The other thing to consider is that ‘calf’ can refer to the entire calf complex, including structures like the much more serious Achilles.

“He is not expected this week, so we can rule him out.”

The Toffees take on Aston Villa in the EFL Cup on September 27 at Villa Park.

Dyche’s side are looking forward to a 3-1 win over Brentford in the Premier League and hope to continue their momentum.

Cup matches are an opportunity for fringe players to get a chance to play, but that doesn’t seem to be happening for Gomes.