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This season was one of two different halves for Manchester United youngster James Garner.
Last summer he was loaned to Watford, started well, then struggled when the Hornets did their usual management shuffle.
Sometimes a starter, sometimes a sub and most recently almost completely overlooked, Garner left Vicarage Road and switched to championship rivals Nottingham Forest.
And this is exactly where it proves its worth.
The comparisons between Garner and former United greats Michael Carrick are well documented. But the 19-year-old had to wait until February to prove it.
Since the club change at the turn of the year, the United loaner has blossomed into the player Ole Gunner Solskjaer knows he can become.
The 19-year-old is now one of the first names on Forest’s roster. He’s played every minute in seven of the last eight league games and was rested for the other.
That’s how important Garner is, and he’s hoping to deliver a masterclass against the team that has rarely used him effectively.
United will hope the same. After all, if Garner excels between now and May, he’ll return to Old Trafford with the bite between his teeth. He also has a realistic chance of snagging a first-team spot under Solskjaer next season.
A story from one season
Garner’s situation shows how quickly things change. He will have been frustrated earlier in the campaign after the initial excitement of regular first-team football.
But now he’ll see a way to join United’s senior team.
Garner no longer needs motivation to impress this weekend. The midfielder scored his first goal for the senior team last month and don’t be surprised if he scores another full-time goal on Saturday.
Garner had a decent goal record for United U23s and he won’t want to disappoint in any area of his game against a team that didn’t quite work out.
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