Everton star reveals personal phone call he had with Tuchel after England team news today

Everton star James Garner received his maiden England call-up on Friday and found out after a conversation with the Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel over the phone.

Garner will be a part of England’s enlarged 35-man squad for games against Uruguay and Japan next week, as Tuchel looks to narrow down his final choices before the World Cup this summer.

The midfielder is enjoying a stellar campaign with the Toffees and is hoping to fire his side into a spot for European football next season.

David Moyes has hailed the ex-Manchester United star for his influence at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and would be one of the first to admit how deserving he is of the call-up.

Garner will want to play at the World Cup, and the friendly matches may give him the chance he needs to impress Tuchel before the trip to North America in a couple of months.

What did James Garner say about Thomas Tuchel phone call?

Garner has been one of Everton’s best performers this season, and has helped Moyes’ side to eighth place in the Premier League, as things stand.

The 25-year-old has previously played for England at youth level, and last featured for the Three Lions’ U21s side in September 2023.

While arriving at Finch Farm this Friday, Everton’s social media team spoke to Garner after the news had broken.

Garner said: “The manager rang me last night [Thursday] and said I’d be involved. That was a good FaceTime call.

“I was very confident that it was going to come.”

As mentioned earlier, Garner has to take this chance before the World Cup, as he could be the unexpected missing piece for Tuchel, amid conversation around midfield options.

Tuchel says Garner ‘deserves’ call-up

The enlarged 35-man squad is fairly unusual for most countries, but with England having such a wide range of talent, Tuchel feels it’s necessary to give everyone a chance.

The former Chelsea boss has been doing his media duties after the announcement, and was asked about the decision to include Garner.

Tuchel said: “I think he deserves it. He’s an underrated player. I saw him many times, and I am convinced of his quality. I want to see how he does in camp.”

As highlighted by Sofascore in the graphic above, Garner is Everton’s highest rated player this season with a score of 7.32.

If any of Moyes’ stars were to make it into an England World Cup squad in the future, Garner would be the one who has the best chance of doing so.

The post Everton star reveals personal phone call he had with Tuchel after England team news today appeared first on Goodison News.