Pickford has had plenty of memorable moments down the years, too. In 2018, he was a key part of an England side that exorcised plenty of demons in the World Cup, saving a crucial penalty as England won a last-16 shootout against Colombia before producing a Player-of-the-Match-winning performance against Sweden in the quarter-finals.
He produced the goods again in the Euro 2020 final, saving two penalties during the heart-breaking defeat to Italy at Wembley. He provided similar heroics again in 2024, saving from Manuel Akanji as England beat Switzerland in a quarter-final victory. In total, Pickford has saved four of the 14 penalties he has faced in World Cup and Euros shootouts.
"When it comes to a penalty shootout, I don’t think I would have anyone else,"former England goalkeeper Ben Foster said in 2024. "I reckon at that moment in time when you get a penalty shootout, he’s genuinely thinking, ‘It’s showtime, baby’. If you could take a blood reading or a sample of how much adrenaline is coursing through his body at that moment, I reckon it would be right at the top, right at the limit. It’s like he’s had six double espressos.”
In open play, meanwhile, Pickford has been almost mistake-free since becoming his country's No.1. Statistical models suggest that he has made just one error that led to a goal since 2018. You'd struggle to find many goalkeepers who are so reliable.