Martin Keown has suggested that Manchester United should recall midfielder James Garner ‘quickly’ from his loan at Nottingham Forest.
The 20-year-old has been an ever-present at the City Ground this season and starred in Forest’s stunning 4-1 win over Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.
Garner ran the show in midfield against the Premier League outfit and provided an assist for the third goal as his corner was headed in by Joe Worrall.
James Garner ran the midfield in Nottingham Forest’s 4-1 FA Cup win over Leicester on Sunday
Keown was on co-commentary duty for the game for the BBC and was full of praise for the England Under-21 international.
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‘Again, set-piece, the ball in from Garner is an absolute beauty, look at the whip on that,’ he said (via The Mirror).
‘You can’t underestimate the quality that Garner is putting into this box. He’s on loan from Manchester United – they need to be thinking about getting him back there quickly!
‘I like the way he’s developing, growing as a player.
Garner (left) provided the assist for Joe Worrall to head in Forest’s third goal of the afternoon
‘It’s his second year here on loan, you can see the development. He’s certainly playing with a lot more confidence right now.’
Garner has been at Manchester United since the age of eight and made his senior debut for the club in February 2019.
The midfielder spent the first half of last season on loan at Watford before switching to Nottingham Forest in January 2021 and he then returned to the City Ground for the current campaign.
Manchester United reportedly discussed recalling the 20-year-old midfielder in January
According to the Manchester Evening News, Old Trafford staff briefly discussed the possibility of recalling Garner last month but decided it was best for him to continue playing regularly in the Championship.
The report adds that the youngster is keen to stay in United’s squad next season and fight for his place.
The Red Devils are likely to sign at least one midfielder in the summer – Declan Rice has been heavily linked – with Paul Pogba set to leave at the end of his contract and Donny van de Beek’s future up in the air.