Everton announced on Friday that they have extended the contract of England midfielder James Garner by three years, extending it until June 30, 2030, from its original expiration date of 2027.

The 24-year-old Ghana primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also play in other positions such as central midfielder and right midfielder. He came through Manchester United's youth academy and made his first-team debut in the Premier League on February 27, 2019.

Due to a lack of playing time at Manchester United, Garner was loaned to Watford and Nottingham Forest from September 2020 to gain experience. After nearly two years in the Championship, he transferred to Everton in September 2022 for £9 million.

To date, Ghana has made 109 appearances for Everton, scoring 5 goals and providing 7 assists. He has started in every competition this season and currently leads the Premier League with 64 tackles, 32 interceptions, and 27 key passes.

After completing the contract extension, Ghana said: "I am incredibly excited to dedicate my future to Everton. I am very grateful for the support and care I have received over the past three and a half years, but this is just the beginning. I have seen the progress we have made recently. I hope to be a part of it and lead the club back to where it deserves to be. I feel like I have become a part of the club and I hope to play for it for a long time."

"Our goal this season is to qualify for European competitions," he continued. "This is the goal that our club—including the players and coaching staff—should pursue, without exception. I believe it is entirely achievable and will be our expectation for next season and for many seasons to come."

"I'm only 24 years old, but I feel like I've been through a lot. I hope to continue to improve, and the most obvious way is to score goals and provide assists."

"In addition, I hope to maintain the consistency of my overall performance, become a leader that my teammates can rely on, and set a good example by my own actions."

“The head coach has a lot of trust in me – his demands on me on match days are exactly what I need to do. He has played an important role since he took over.”

Everton manager David Moyes said: "We are delighted that Jimmy has committed to staying at Everton long-term. He has made tremendous progress during his time at Everton and has taken on more responsibility. What we are seeing now is a key midfielder who can play in multiple positions and is gradually developing into a leader for the team."

"He is only 24 years old, and we hope he can continue to improve and play an important role in driving the team's development in the future."

Image source: Internet/Everton official website