The final game of English football's professional season was a good one for Manchester United. James Garner was one of the best players on the pitch at Wembley, finishing an impressive loan spell with Nottingham Forest by helping them to the Premier League after a 23-year absence.
He hasn't kicked a ball for United this season, but so bad has the campaign at Old Trafford been that Garner is one of the more encouraging stories to emerge from 2021/22. He has got better and better for Forest, especially since the appointment of his former England Under-17 manager Steve Cooper in September, and has earned a chance in pre-season with his parent club.
Erik ten Hag will take the midfielder on the tour of Thailand and Australia and with spots up for grabs in an area of the pitch weakened by the departures of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba, an opportunity is knocking for Garner. How he does on that tour and in the four pre-season games included in the itinerary will decide his next move.
