The 21-year-old midfielder has had an excellent loan spell at Nottingham Forest this season and is expected to play a massive role if they are to sneak into the playoff spots in the next couple of months.
Garner’s performance against Liverpool in the FA Cup over the weekend attracted massive attention and there is a real feeling that he could be challenging for a place in the Manchester United midfield next season under a new manager.
Cooper coached Garner for England Under-17s and admitted that he has been one of Forest’s best players in recent months.
He is happy that the loan has proved to be beneficial for both the player and the club, but stressed the importance of Garner now capping off the season with another run of excellent performances.
“I knew him from his England Under-17 days, where he was captain, so we had a relationship before here”, Cooper told The Athletic.
“He has been excellent. Over recent months he has been a high-performing player in the team. He has been a constant selection for us.
“The loan is proving to be a really beneficial one.
“It is important now that he stays at the same level for the run-in.
“He needs to get to the end of the season and be able to say that he is a better player than he was before he came here.
“That is always the objective of a loan.
“We are very happy with him.
“We work very hard with him and he works very hard himself.”
Garner will hope to impress the new manager at Manchester United over the summer and stake his claim for a spot in the team at the start of next season.
