Jordan Pickford has been Everton's first-choice goalkeeper since 2017 and England's No. 1 choice for five consecutive major international tournaments
Jordan Pickford.
Jordan Pickford has been a hero for club and country(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
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Jordan Pickford has been England's first-choice goalkeeper since 2018 and an Everton hero on many occasions. However, the name stitched across the back of his shirt at the current World Cup could look remarkably different had his father not taken matters into his own hands.
Pickford came through the academy at his hometown club, Sunderland, with father Lee and mother Sue switching their loyalties from Newcastle owing to his passion for the Black Cats. Following six loan spells away from the north east, the shot-stopper secured a £25million switch to Everton in 2017, where his international career took off.
He claimed the number one jersey after Gareth Southgate chose him ahead of Joe Hart, and Pickford hasn't looked back since, shining across five major tournaments for the Three Lions. However, the lettering on the back of his England shirt could well have read 'Pigford' were it not for his father Lee's timely intervention.
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Jordan's dad was raised as Lee Pigford but opted to legally change his surname by deed poll after going through bullying at school. The goalkeeper's father was cruelly taunted and dubbed 'Piggy', which drove him to shield any future children from suffering the same fate.
Pickford's grandfather, Barrie, still carries the Pigford name but remains immensely proud of his extraordinarily gifted grandson. He told the Mail in 2018: "I'm over the moon for him, I am. I never thought he would play for England.
"It is the best thing he did leaving Sunderland - going to Everton was a good thing for him. He's doing good, I'm pleased for him. He's six foot four, so he's a big lad, but he's quiet.
"He doesn't brag or nothing. When he comes home he is the same as normal. He's a quiet kid really. I think the world of him."
Jordan Pickford.
Pickford has been England's no. 1 for a long time(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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Pickford has witnessed both the peaks and troughs of football throughout his England career. He has twice stood between the posts in a European Championship final, plus a World Cup semi-final, only for the Three Lions to come up short.
The goalkeeper has collected 89 caps for England and has proved a hero on numerous occasions - most recently helping England overcome Mexico 3-2 to secure a quarter-final spot at the World Cup.
Now, Pickford is convinced that Thomas Tuchel has embedded a winning mentality into the current squad and remains confident they can triumph for the first time in 60 years. He said: "Belief, togetherness... I think we have had that previously, but I think the manager's got that belief in us. The meetings the manager has with us, it is like you are ready to go to war. He puts that belief in you.
"There are different meetings he has tactically, and it is like 'Yeah, it is go time. ' We all want the same goal, we all want that end goal, and this squad he has picked, we are all in good spirits, and all in good moments in our career."
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