Former Premier League defender Martin Keown has told Manchester United to recall loanee James Garner from a loan spell at Nottingham Forest after his performance against Leicester City.
The midfielder was part of a performance that saw Steve Cooper ’s side come out as 4-1 winners over the Foxes on Sunday, knocking the holders out of the competition in spectacular fashion.
Garner’s set-pieces in particular caused chaos in the opposition box with the Reds’ third goal in a relentless nine-minute period in the first half, coming from a corner.
Speaking during his co-commentary on BBC Sport, Keown was full of praise for the loanee.
“Again, set-piece, the ball in from Garner is an absolute beauty, look at the whip on that,” he said during the game.
“You can't underestimate the quality that Garner is putting into this box. He's on loan from Manchester United – they need to be thinking about getting him back there quickly!
“I like the way he's developing, growing as a player.
“It's his second year here on loan, you can see the development. He's certainly playing with a lot more confidence right now.”
It is said that United ‘briefly discussed’ the possibility of recalling the youngster during the January transfer window but opted to ensure that the player got regular game time with Forest for the rest of the season.
Garner has played a total of 26 times so far this season, scoring once and providing two assists.
The 20-year-old is due to return to Old Trafford at the end of the season where he will look to break into the first-team squad under a new manager with Ralf Rangnick only being in interim charge until the end of the campaign.
