Everton midfielder James Garner must be perplexed as he sits at home and watches England in the World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel’s side scraped through to the last 16 following a 2-1 victory over DR Congo on Wednesday.
Garner was not selected by Tuchel for the England squad, and the German now finds himself extremely short of options at right-back
How has Thomas Tuchel taken Jordan Henderson over James Garner? 😡
The 2025/26 campaign was a strong one for Garner, who showed his versatility playing in midfield and full-back, which makes Tuchel’s decision to leave him behind even more baffling.
James Garner must be stunned watching Declan Rice play at right-back for England
Following his impressive season for Everton, Garner proved himself to be the perfect utility man for Tuchel this summer.
The 25-year-old’s ability to play at right-back was a huge plus, with the likes of Reece James known for his constant injury issues.
Despite this, Tuchel has now resorted to playing England’s best midfielder Declan Rice at right-back due to the right-back issues currently being experienced.
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Tuchel was impressed with Garner following his England call-up back during the March international break.
However, the remaining weeks of the 2025/26 campaign failed to convince the German that Garner deserved a spot on the plane.
Why James Garner could have been perfect for England’s World Cup squad
David Moyes was not surprised Garner did not make England’s squad after the 63-year-old criticised the way Everton ended their season.
Regardless, Garner was the standout performer for the Blues, with his consistency something that really stood out.
Out of his 41 appearances for Everton last season, Garner played seven of them in the full-back positions.
| 2025/26 | Midfield | Right-back | Left-back |
| Appearances | 34 | 4 | 3 |
| Goals | 2 | / | 1 |
| Assists | 7 | / | / |
In comparison, Rice played just once at right-back for Arsenal last season.
There is no denying that Rice gets in over Garner in the midfield spot, but that is what makes Tuchel’s decision even more baffling.
The England manager is now losing his best midfielder to play him at right-back due to his poor selection decisions.
Everton are keen on Djed Spence, but the Tottenham Hotspur right-back did not do himself any favours on Wednesday against Congo.
Following the injury to Tino Livramento, Tuchel had the opportunity to redeem himself and pick another natural right-back, or even someone like Garner who could deputise well.
Instead, the 52-year-old picked centre-back Trevor Chalobah, who is yet to play a single minute of football since his call-up.
Sharing their thoughts on TalkingPoints, Everton supporters named Garner as their Player of the Season for the 2025/26 campaign.
It is just a shame Tuchel did not see the same in Garner as everyone at the Hill Dickinson Stadium did.
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