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Jamie Carragher says ‘fantastic’ Everton player is playing better than £47.5m Manchester City star right now

Sam Preston

Fri 11 November 2022 12:45, UK Updated Fri 11 November 2022 18:21, UK

Jamie Carragher has hailed the form of Conor Coady since he joined Everton on loan from Wolves in the summer.

Bruno Lage bombed Coady out when he looked to make the move to a back four at the start of this season, and that was to Everton’s benefit.

Lage has since paid with his job and Coady has impressed in a back four with Everton, alongside fellow new-boy James Tarkowski.

When discussing who should start for England in the opening game of the World Cup, Carragher said Coady is playing as well as or better than every other Three Lions centre-back right now.

Carragher on Coady

That includes John Stones, who joined Manchester City from Everton for a £47.5 million in August 2016.

Carragher : “Conor Coady is right now playing as well or better than every other English centre-back.

“Because I think the other one you could put in is Eric Dier, who has been playing in the middle of that back three for Conte.

“What Conor Coady’s done for Everton, alongside Tarkowski is almost change the narrative and perception around that club, how they’re seen.

“Stones and Conor Coady feels too similar in some ways; there’s no real powerhouse aerially, they’re both good on the ball, read the game really well. So that might go against Conor.”

Harry Maguire is in the squad but goes into the squad with serious question marks over his selection and put in another nervous performance for Manchester United last night.

Coady might have been seen as someone who can only play in a back three before this season but he has proved otherwise now.

Dier made a mistake against Liverpool on Sunday, and Ben White has been playing right-back for Arsenal, so perhaps Coady could play in Qatar, having not got on the pitch at all during Euro 2020.