James Garner, who is on loan at Watford from Manchester United, has revealed that he idolised Steven Gerrard as part of his Merseyside childhood.
As part of a fan Q&A segment on Watford’s official website, James Garner has revealed that he grew up idolising Steven Gerrard during his childhood, which was spent in the Birkenhead region of Merseyside. The 19-year-old is on loan from Manchester United at the Championship club.
James Garner joined the Manchester United academy over a decade ago back in 2009 and made swift progress through the ranks before making the grade in the first-team setup midway through the 2018/19 season.
However, the youngster could manage just six further appearances with the senior side in the 18 months that followed and it became clear that he had to be sent out on loan to further his progress. That loan move came this past summer as Manchester United sent him to Watford for the rest of the 2020/21 campaign.
The start to life at Vicarage Road has been fairly solid for Garner, who has featured in every single Championship game since completing the move. Ahead of the international break, Garner also registered his first assist in Watford colours and it seems like he is settling in well at the club. Now, as part of a Q&A session on the Hornets’ website, Garner has made a startling admission.
“I get asked this a lot of times. Because of where I grew up, all my family are Liverpool supporters, which is ironic considering I’m at Manchester United, so my idol was probably Steven Gerrard. I used to watch all the games with my Dad and he was the main player who I used to watch and I wanted to be like him. I used to wear the Predators, just like him, and I still do today.”
While it is interesting to note who Garner idolises, it will be even more intriguing to see if he goes on to follow in Gerrard’s footsteps somewhat and enjoys a legendary career, albeit with Manchester United. If he does, Manchester United might not have to enter the market for a midfielder for a long time, having been linked with a move for Federico Valverde.
Furthermore, with Paul Pogba’s future at Old Trafford being uncertain, Garner could potentially be an in-house replacement for Manchester United. For now, he will hope to go from strength to strength at Watford, as the 2020/21 season continues.
