Everton’s Jordan Pickford has been rating different goalkeepers ahead of going to his third World Cup as England number one
Jordan Pickford is gearing up for the World Cup
Jordan Pickford is gearing up for the World Cup(Image: CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock)
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Everton’s Jordan Pickford has explained how a Premier League legend helped inspire him to become a goalkeeper from a young age while revealing a bold trophy prediction.
Speaking in an exclusive interview earlier this season ahead of his first return to the Stadium of Light as an opposition player, Pickford’s former PE teacher at St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in his home town of Washington, told the ECHO: “I played him in midfield. You could get away with it in schoolboy football and put anyone in goal as he would have been wasted in goal and he wanted to play out as well.”
However, the 32-year-old who is preparing for his third World Cup as England number one having turned out in all the Three Lions’ matches at Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, on his way to earning 82 caps to date, has explained his youthful influences in a light-hearted video short produced by BBC Sport.
First off, Pickford is asked to choose between Gianluigi Buffon or Petr Cech. The Blues ace replies: “Oh my God, I’d go Buffon.”
He is then asked Buffon or David Seaman and says: “I’d go Buffon, 20-odd years playing.”
Next up he is faced with Buffon or Edwin van der Sar and remarks: “Buffon, what a legend, but when I watched van der Sar at United, but I’m going to have to stick with Buffon.”
After that, he is hit with Buffon or himself and quips: “Buffon, I’ll pick myself when we win the World Cup!”
The choice then moves on to Buffon or Iker Casillas and Pickford finally changes tack by stating: “Wow, Casillas when they (Spain) won the Euros, World Cup, Euros. He was left-footed as well, we’ll go Casillas to change it up.”
When asked Casillas or Schmeichel, Pickford asks for clarification as to whether they mean dad Peter or son Kasper and when the former is confirmed, he declares: “We’ll go Schmeichel just because me growing up as a kid, as a five or six-year-old, my first ever pair of gloves, he had them.
“When I started watching football, like Champions League nights when he was at United, we’ll go Schmeichel.”
Next, he is given Schmeichel or David De Gea and wincing over the choice, states: “Both two great keepers, I’ll stick with Schmeichel though.”
Finally, Pickford is given Schmeichel or Manuel Neuer (who came out of international retirement aged 40 last month to feature in his fifth consecutive World Cup for Germany) and simply concludes: “Neuer.”