The Blackburn-born striker initially joined the Blues in mid-January 2007 on loan until the end of the 2006-07 season, Garner scoring five goals in one substitute appearance and 17 starts in that time. United then signing the now 24-year old for a club record fee of £140,000 down in August 2007, with Joe going on to make a further 33 starts, two substitute appearances and score 14 goals in his time at Brunton Park before a serious knee injury picked up in a 2-1 win at Crewe in late February 2008 ended his 07-08 campaign prematurely.
That would prove to be his last match in a Carlisle shirt too as despite still recovering from his knee problem a trigger clause in his contract saw Nottingham Forest have a £1.14million bid for Joe accepted by United in July 2008. Things never really went to plan for Garner at the City Ground though, after the penning of his four year contract, and he had two spells out on loan while there, one at Huddersfield, while the other came at Scunthorpe.
His period with the Terriers from July 2010 to Janaury 2011 producing 11 starts, eight substitute appearances and no goals, while at Glanford Park between January 2011 and the end of that 2010-11 campaign he was able to get on the scoresheet, netting six times in 17 starts and one substitute appearance. Despite a reasonably good first season with Forest though Garner would only end up making 35 starts, 20 substitute appearances while scoring nine goals for the Tricky Trees in his three years at the City Ground.
The aggressive striker eventually moving across the Championship to Watford for a fee believed to be in the region of £200,000 on transfer deadline day of August 2011, that being just short of 12 months before the end of his scheduled contract at Forest. Times didn't improve much at Vicarage Road last season and the beginning of this though with Joe only making 18 starts and nine substitute appearances, while scoring one goal for the Hornets to date.
Coming into Carlisle now for his one month loan spell, Joe you would think will be high up the pecking order for a place in the United front three, although that it is a congested area for the Blues at the moment with Mark Beck, Danny Cadamarteri, Jake Jervis, Jon-Paul McGovern, Paddy Madden, Matty Robson, David Symington and Andy Welsh also looking for a starting spot in that forward line.
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