- James Garner officially secures an Everton awards double.
- Under Moyes guidance, Garner’s final-third threat exploded this season.
- Is now one of the most effective English midfielders in the Premier League.
James Garner has enjoyed a fantastic campaign. Not only has he been a model of consistency under David Moyes – frequently proving to be the best player on the pitch – but he also earned his first senior England cap earlier this year.
To cap off a brilliant individual year, he recently picked up both the Men’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards at the club’s end-of-season ceremony.
But just how good has his season actually been? Let’s take a look at the data driving his stellar season.
Garner stats: Year-on-year comparison (2024-25 vs 2025-26)
As Evertonians can attest, Garner has been hugely impressive this season. While he missed a significant chunk of the previous campaign with a back injury, his performance levels have massively improved this year—even when accounting for his increased minutes on the pitch.
| Stat | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
| Matches | 21 | 37 |
| Minutes | 1,593 | 3,323 |
| Starts | 17 | 37 |
| Goals | 0 | 2 |
| Assists | 1 | 7 |
| Goal Contributions | 1 | 9 |
| Average Rating | 6.65 | 7.20 |
| Shots | 12 | 44 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 14 |
| Touches | 1,017 | 2,590 |
| Touches in Box | 15 | 29 |
| Tackles | 47 | 115 |
Key takeaways from Garner’s numbers:
- Explosive creative output: His attacking impact has evolved significantly. His assists jumped from 1 to 7, while his overall goal contributions soared from 1 to 9.
- Aggressive attacking intent: Garner became a bigger threat in the final third, more than tripling his total shots and nearly doubling his presence inside the opposition box.
- Consistency: Despite playing nearly every single minute of a gruelling Premier League season, Garner managed to dramatically raise his baseline performance, boosting his average match rating up to an impressive 7.20.
Data analysis: How Garner ranks against Premier League midfielders
To truly appreciate the 25-year-old’s elite development, it is helpful to compare him to his English peers—some of whom have (perhaps inexplicably) been selected ahead of him for the upcoming World Cup squad.
| Metric | Value | Rank (Among English PL players) |
| Successful Tackles | 116 | 1st |
| Interceptions | 58 | 1st |
| Assists | 7 | 2nd |
| Ground Duels Won | 171 | 2nd |
| Chances Created | 52 | =3rd |
| Successful Final Third Passes | 472 | 3rd |
Ultimate all-action midfielder:
- Defensive dominance: Garner leads the entire pool of English Premier League players for both successful tackles (116) and interceptions (58).
- Physical presence: Ranking 2nd for ground duels won (171) highlights his massive work rate and tenacity in the heart of Moyes’ midfield.
- Underappreciated playmaker: Despite carrying an immense defensive workload, he remains an outstanding creative outlet. Ranking 2nd for assists and 3rd for both chances created and final third passes, proves he is the complete modern midfielder.
Silver lining of an England World Cup snub
James Garner’s awards feel like the logical conclusion to an impressive campaign. He has emerged not just as Everton’s best player, but also as one of the most complete midfielders in the entire Premier League.
While he can feel rightly aggrieved to be left out of the England World Cup squad, the omission might actually favour the Toffees in the long run.
Considering his growing importance to the team as they look ahead to next season, a well-deserved summer of rest will keep him fresh. Better yet, keeping him off the international shop window might just limit the prying eyes of rival clubs looking to tempt him away from the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey.
