Jordan Pickford’s performance for Everton against Manchester United on Monday evening showed that he is by far England’s best goalkeeper at present.
Everton were reduced to 10 men against Manchester United at Old Trafford, though Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s incredible strike gave the Toffees an unlikely lead, one which they clung onto for a vital three points.
David Moyes will have been particularly impressed with Jordan Pickford, with the goalkeeper making some heroic saves to keep Manchester United out, pushing Everton up to 11th in the Premier League table.
And if that wasn’t enough to show that he is Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice goalkeeper in the England team at present, further developments surrounding James Trafford’s performances at Manchester City have shown that he’ll remain in the sticks for a long, long time for the Three Lions.
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Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
James Trafford nightmare means Jordan Pickford should continue to be England’s number one choice
James Trafford signed for Manchester City in the summer after a record-breaking season for Burnley last season, just two years after he went in the other direction.
With just 16 goals conceded in the Championship, Trafford has been touted as the long-term replacement for Pickford in the England side, and that only heightened after his move to Manchester City – with claims that Trafford could even have replaced Pickford on Merseyside in 2023 had Everton been relegated.
However, the Cityzens signed Italy hero Gianluigi Donnarumma just weeks later, and on the back of his Champions League triumph with Paris Saint-Germain last season, there was only going to be one man end up as the first-choice stopper.
Where does Jordan Pickford rank among Premier League goalkeepers?
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Trafford was City’s starting goalkeeper for their first three games of the Premier League season, though he had a nightmare in the loss to Tottenham and after Donnarumma was signed late in the window, he’s not featured in the Premier League since late August.
Instead, Trafford has only been subject to appearances in the Carabao Cup, keeping Huddersfield out but conceding to Swansea.
And, starting against Bayer Leverkusen in a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday night in the Champions League, it looks likely that Donnarumma will be instated back into the fold.
That will only help Pickford’s position for the World Cup this summer, and if Trafford fails to move next season, Euro 2028 could be all his, too.
Jordan Pickford has given Thomas Tuchel no reason to be dropped for England
Jordan Pickford has been the most consistent English goalkeeper for a number of years now, despite competition from Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson and Trafford.
Gary Lineker has named Pickford as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League alongside David Raya and Alisson Becker, and it’s nice to see the Sunderland-born star given his flowers.
This has to be one of the saves of the season!
Where would Everton be without him?
Crucially, Pickford always emerges from the international break with more credibility, and having yet to let England down, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be in goal for their first game of the World Cup in North America this summer.
Whilst Trafford, Pope and Henderson are always in the squad, Pickford’s immense form means that Thomas Tuchel’s decision should be fairly straightforward over the coming months barring a severe collapse in form for the shot stopper.
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