Nicky Butt can see Manchester United bringing James Garner back to Old Trafford after his impressive performances at Everton.
Garner got here through the United academy and had loans at Watford and Nottingham Forest before leaving the club to affix Everton for £15million in 2022.
The versatile midfielder has grown to turn out to be an important figure in David Moyes’s side this season, registering eight goal contributions to assist in giving the Toffees a shot of qualifying for Europe.
Garner’s impressive performances at club level also saw him rewarded with a primary England call-up back in March, with the 25-year-old featuring in each matches against Uruguay and Japan.
This has raised the chance that Garner might be named in the ultimate 26-man England squad for the World Cup, which have to be announced by May 30.
United have made improving their midfield a key priority in the summertime transfer window after confirmation that Casemiro will leave the club at the top of the season.
And while Butt thinks a return this summer is unlikely, the previous Red Devils midfielder insists that he wouldn’t be surprised if Garner ended up back at Old Trafford within the not-so-distant future.
‘I don’t see why he couldn’t be back at United,’ Butt told Paddy Power. ‘He’s performing well, he’s playing for a giant club with a giant expectation with their crowd.
‘Obviously they’re not expected to go and win the Premier League but they’re expected to win they usually’ve got passionate support.
‘So he plays under pressure every week, he knows Man United and yeah, he’s doing amazingly well now.
‘He’s got to do it again next season, it’s a bit soon to go and pay big money for him now, but I’m confident he can go and do it.’
Butt, who helped oversee Garner’s development during his time accountable for United’s academy, added: ‘On the time Jimmy wasn’t at the extent to burst into United and play recurrently. It wasn’t working so quite rightly he moved on and kick-started his profession.
‘Jimmy is a bit just like the player I used to be. Not probably the most talented but his drive and desire to get to the highest is up there with anybody I’ve seen.’
Butt is confident that the Everton star will likely be with the Three Lions in North America this summer, where England will likely be trying to win their first men’s trophy since 1966.
‘Jimmy Garner has done himself a large, massive favour playing how he played,’ he added. ‘He’s been phenomenal this season. He’s got all of it, he can go through the lines, he can defend, he can tackle, he can sprint.
‘He’s like a poorer man’s version of Gerrard. Not pretty much as good as Gerrard, but he’s in that mould, he can do every little thing as a contemporary day midfielder.
‘He will certainly be going [to the World Cup] after that, he’s got his ticket on the plane.’
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