Garner Reveals Everton's 'Mentality Shift'

James Garner is the subject of the main feature in Saturday's Official Matchday Programme for the visit of Aston Villa. Keep reading for a snippet of that exclusive interview...

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The breeze off the River Mersey may have carried the roar of Hill Dickinson Stadium back to the very spot James Garner is referring to.

On a landmark day in Everton’s storied history – the first competitive game at the Club’s stunning new waterfront home – the Wirral-born midfielder (and, nowadays, deputy full-back) found himself transported back to a moment of raw joy like he experienced playing football over the water as a youngster.

“It was one of those,” he smiles, reflecting on a 25-yard thunderbolt in front of the iconic and almost-impossibly steep South Stand, which houses 14,800 Evertonians on a matchday. “I said at the time and it’s true, I don’t think people talk about how good a feeling scoring a goal is at any level of football, but then you put the context into it – 50-odd thousand people, it wasn’t just a tap-in but a screamer… it’s literally the stuff you do when you’re on the playground or playing on the streets with your mates as a kid. 

“You’d create a situation like that and scream your name out as you hit it like a commentator. To live out a moment like that was surreal, really. It’s special. I want more of those now.”

That Premier League Goal of the Month award contender in the 2-0 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion – one Garner admits continues to pop up on his Instagram feed having watched it back “a few times” – helped kick-start the Toffees’ season after a frustrating opener at Elland Road. A professional win by the same scoreline over Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup followed, before a brilliant 3-2 triumph over Wolves at Molineux prior to the international break.

The run has sparked a rising wave of hopeful optimism amongst Evertonians.

It is, perhaps, easy to forget Everton hovered just one point above the relegation zone when David Moyes began his second tenure as manager on 11 January this year. A superb second half of the season saw the Blues finish closer in points to the top four than the bottom three of the Premier League table come the end of the campaign.

And while so much has changed over the summer, the message internally has remained consistent.

“He said to us on day one that he’s not come here to take over a team that’s fighting against relegation – he said it again on day one of pre-season,” reveals Garner. “He sets high standards and we know where we want to be. We’ve got a few more faces in over the summer and with the quality we have in the squad now, we all agree with the manager – if you want to achieve big things, then you’ve got to set your standards and your goals high.

“I think you can see it in us. There is a mentality shift. We’re playing with more confidence, going into games thinking how we are going to take all three points, it’s not just surviving. We’ve done that in these first few games. Obviously, the first game [against Leeds] felt like a blip, I don’t think we played well, but we’ve responded and now the aim is to keep building momentum.

“We want to keep winning and keep that winning mentality – that was the message in the changing room amongst all of us after the Wolves game.”

>>> To read the full feature, order your copy of the Official Matchday Programme online now, priced £4+P&P!

Elsewhere in the Official Matchday Programme this weekend, we hear from CEO Angus Kinnear following a busy summer, while Jack Grealish and Michael Keane take on Stranded At Sea and Take Your Pick – our new light-hearted features – respectively.

Gareth Farrelly is the subject of our former player interview and there is reaction from Everton Women following a superb 4-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield in their Barclays WSL opener, plus 17-year-old winger Justin Clarke sets a new target after catching the eye in pre-season and Everton Giant Joe Royle gives his verdict on the Blues' new home, Hill Dickinson Stadium.

For all this and much more, purchase your copy of the Official Matchday Programme in and around the ground this weekend, priced £4, or click here to order your copy online now.

>>> Order your copy of the Official Matchday Programme online now, priced £4+P&P!