Joe Garner Hopes To Bowl Us Over

Joe Garner in England colours

The Blackburn-born youngster, who has recently signed a new 18-month contract at Ewood Park which takes him up to the summer of 2008 with Rovers, will be hoping to go straight into Carlisle boss Neil McDonald's squad for the visit of Crewe Alexandra to Brunton Park tomorrow. The highly-rated forward has played for England at both schoolboy and under-19 level and makes the trip up the M6 with a glowing reputation as he looks to make his first foray into first-team football at a professional level.

Garner, who is no relation to old Rovers striking stalwart Simon Garner, has been a prolific goalscorer at every level he has played at, scoring 15 goals in 22 youth team starts, plus four as a substitute, in the 2004-05 season in which Blackburn were crowned the FA Premier Academy League Champions. The next campaign saw his form level off a little with just five goals in 21 youth and reserve team starts, plus five as a substitute, but this season he has come storming back with eight goals in nine starts, plus one as a substitute, in Glyn Hodges's second-string outfit.

The 18-year old scored eight goals, including two from the penalty spot, in 12 caps for John Peacock's England under-17 side, and Joe has also earned four caps at under-19 level, although he has slipped out of the international reckoning since the end of 2005. The Rovers coaching staff still have high hopes for Garner though hence the award of a deal until the summer of 2008, and they will be hoping that first-team football with the Blues will be the making of him in a similar way to the current form of Matt Derbyshire and his extremely successful loan spell at Wrexham last season.



First Team Transfers 2006-07 : Click here