International manager says Man Utd have produced a player who’s a ‘mini-Valverde’, it’s not Mainoo

Thomas Tuchel has hailed James Garner as England’s ‘mini-Federico Valverde’ following his side’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay.The clash saw Garner, a product of Manchester United’s academy, earn his maiden cap for the Three Lions before claiming the Man of the Match award at full-time.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYHow did James Garner fare on his England debut?During the affair at Wembley, the Everton star played just under an hour of action before being withdrawn, yet did enough to be deemed the highest-performing Three Lions player on the pitch.Garner, according to Fotmob, made 10 final-third passes and completed three accurate crosses.Defensively, he made three tackles, four recoveries and one interception, as well as winning six of his ground duels attempted. The midfielder was not dribbled past once. 59 touches37/40 passes completed4 chances created3 tackles won6 duels won1 Player of the Match award International debuts don’t get much better than that, @jgarnerr96 👏💙 pic.twitter.com/rduDkrojYn — Everton (@Everton) March 28, 2026What Tuchel had to say about GarnerTuchel, who ruled himself out of contention for the United manager job when he signed a two-year contract extension last month, said of Garner post-match: “I was quite sure he would play good because he has this natural confidence and he’s very physical. He won a lot of balls.“I think there are some situations where he can be a little more open in the body position and drive a bit more through midfield with a little bit more confidence. But overall, I was very impressed with the way he trained, the way he behaved and the way he played.” “James Garner is our mini Valverde” 😮 | Thomas Tuchel pic.twitter.com/0gcOCOuUt6 — BeanymanSports (@BeanymanSports) March 27, 2026United mulled over Garner reunion in 2025The 25-year-old spent 13 years of his youth and senior career working his way through the ranks at Carrington before departing for Goodison Park in 2022. Appearances (all competitions) Starts Minutes played 7 3 317 (Garner’s record for United)In the latter stages of his United tenure, and after failing to cement a first-team place, he enjoyed valuable loan spells with Watford and Nottingham Forest, the latter of which saw him play an integral role in the side securing their return to the top flight via a play-off final win in May 2022.Reports last year suggested the Red Devils were considering a move to try and bring Garner back to the club following his stellar displays for the Toffees. However, he opted to commit his long-term future to the Merseyside outfit and signed a four-and-a-half-year deal in January.