“An asset to any team” – Nottingham Forest fan pundit makes James Garner claim amid Manchester United talk

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Nottingham Forest’s transformation under Steve Cooper has been remarkable, with the Reds now in the hunt for promotion despite their disastrous start to the campaign.

A key reason for the improvement has been Cooper’s ability to get the best out of a lot of the squad, including James Garner.

The midfielder has rediscovered his best form under the former England youth coach, with his performances even bringing about talk that he could return to play a part for parent club Manchester United next season.

And, whilst FLW’s fan pundit Des Oldham believes it is too soon for the 20-year-old to become a regular, he has no doubt that Garner can play his part at Old Trafford.

“Right now, I firmly believe James Garner will be an asset to any team. After a slow start to the season, his confidence is booming and he’s improving week on week.

“After a good season at Forest, where he’s making a real impact, I think the next step in his career might be a Premier League move. I’m not quite sure he’s ready to oust Bruno Fernandes, Scott McTominay and who Manchester United already have, but should he go back and hang around the squad I can see him being a useful squad player and getting some game time and making a real impact.”

Garner will finish the season with Forest though, with his aim to help the East Midlands outfit back to the top-flight.

The verdict

Anyone who has seen Garner play in the past few months will recognise what a talent he is, and you do forget sometimes that he is still such a young player.

Obviously,