England manager Gareth Southgate was keeping a close eye on Everton midfielder James Garner when recently in attendance at Goodison Park, according to David Ornstein.

Southgate was sat alongside Everton’s director of football Kevin Thelwell in the stands for the Toffees’ 2-0 win over Chelsea on 10 December.

The Three Lions boss was widely considered to be running the rule over young defender Jarrad Branthwaite, plus 11-cap Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but midfielder Garner may also be in his plans.

Speaking on The Athletic Football Podcast [18 December, 16m 10s], Ornstein said: “Gareth Southgate was at the recent Everton home game and there were reports that came out he was looking at Calvert-Lewin and others.

“Well I’ve heard he thinks very highly of James Garner, and that’s a position – number six – England are perhaps not blessed.”

Maintain these levels

Garner has been asked to plug a number of gaps over the past couple of seasons, but the central-midfield role he has found himself in over the past couple of months has got the best out of him.

The former Manchester United player has been superb sitting alongside a combination of Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye, with his team high 1.3 dribbles per game [WhoScored] helping to drag the team up the field.

As Ornstein points out, that is not an area of the field in which England are massively blessed, as Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips still somehow get the nod in the engine room.

Garner’s upturn in form has come at a great time pre-Euro 2024 squad selection, but the aim now has to be maintaining these levels for the next five months or so.

The European Championship finals may come too soon, but beyond that tournament, there is no reason why Garner, Calvert-Lewin and Branthwaite will not all be in the England senior squad.