Everton being captained by James Garner in their most recent pre-season friendly is a sign of the changes Sean Dyche is making at Goodison Park.
In the second half of their friendly match against Salford City on July 27, Garner, a Toffee, took up the armband for the first time because neither Seamus Coleman nor James Tarkowski was on the pitch.
It obviously didn’t weigh heavily on him either, as the midfielder scored a fantastic free kick five minutes after the game resumed. However, he was unable to stop Salford from mounting a late comeback, as the hosts prevailed 2-1.
Garner said, “I have always been a natural leader,” expressing that he wasn’t at all intimidated by the captaincy, according to statements published in the Liverpool Echo on July 29.
“I think it is natural for me to lead a team just by how I play. I’ve always had the armband from when I was a child up to the Under-21s [in Manchester United’s academy]. The next step for me now is being a captain of the first team.”
James Garner a leading candidate to lead new-look Everton
Although Coleman has led the Toffees for many years prior to the arrival of Garner and Dyche, aged 35, it seems unlikely that he will be a regular member of the squad this year.
Tarkowski, who Dyche has worked with at Everton and Burnley over the years and who excelled with Jarrad Branthwaite last season, would then automatically get the armband.
The Blues’ pursuit of Lyon defender Jake O’Brien, however, indicates that the rivalry at center-back is expected to heat up despite their growing confidence in keeping Branthwaite this summer [Fabrizio Romano, July 28].
Should the considerably younger combination of Branthwaite and O’Brien replace Tarkowski in defense, it would create an opening for the captaincy, which Garner will be sure he can fill.
Dyche is aggressively working to fill the void left by Amadou Onana’s departure, but Garner, who is a skilled player on the right side of defense as well as midfield, will still have room to move up and take the armband next season.
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