Andy Lonergan has been speaking about his former Everton team-mate and England's No.1 Jordan Pickford.
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Anthony Gordon, Andy Lonergan and Abdoulaye Doucoure during an Everton training session.
Anthony Gordon, Andy Lonergan and Abdoulaye Doucoure during an Everton training session.
Former Everton goalkeeper Andy Lonergan believes Jordan Pickford has single-handedly kept his old club in the Premier League in the last three years. The now 41-year-old became the first former Liverpool player to move to Goodison Park in 15 years when he joined the Blues back in the summer of 2021.
But even though Lonergan had spent the previous season across Stanley Park, he failed to make a single senior appearance. During his time with the Blues, the ex-Leeds United man provided back-up cover to Pickford, Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia.
He formed a close relationship with the England international - who has been a mainstay for the Blues since he joined the club from Sunderland back in 2017. But despite being lauded by Blues supporters, away from Goodison, Pickford has often received criticism from opposition fans and pundits, who haven’t been shy of kicking the boot in.
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However, Lonergan believes the perception some away from the club have of the 30-year-old is wrong - and claimed the fact he has managed to keep his side up in the top-flight shows just how good he is. The complete opposite to what everyone thinks," he replied on the I Had Trials Once podcast when asked about Pickford.
"He is just a top guy. He trains his b******s off and is a class keeper.
"Honestly, he gets stick and it hurts me a bit because he's my mate as well. I will say he's kept Everton up single-handedly for the last three years; that is how good he has been and he has been unbelievable.
"Unless you watch him every game, you don't realise how good he is. You see the highlights when they concede, and everyone will say he should have done this, but the saves he makes.
"He's incredible. A great guy, and he is chilled.
"He is chilled out. He loves giving s*** out to me like, but he is proper.
"I have met loads of people that are really good mates of mine, but on the pitch I hated them. I'm not saying that about him, but he's a different character on the pitch than off it.
"I remember the first time he asked me to play golf with him - and I thought it was going to be carnage - but he's the most chilled and thoughtful guy about his game. He's a good lad."