James Garner is listing the players he admired when he was growing up. They are a fairly typical group for a player of his age: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, a trio who won almost 300 England caps and who scored over 700 goals between them. So far, so conventional for a central midfielder in the England squad.
But there is a surprise confession. Where others idolised the all-action midfielders or the defining flair player of his generation, Garner’s hero was more of a defensive warrior.
