Jordan Pickford is in action against Albania on Friday evening.
England welcome Albania to Wembley for the first 2026 World Cup qualifier and Thomas Tuchel will be in the dugout for the first time.
Tuchel has taken the reigns from Lee Carsley and is set to take charge of the World Cup in the US, with the sole aim of winning it.
The former Chelsea manager is on an 18-month contract, so he’s only expected to manage one major tournament.
Ahead of tonight’s clash, it’s just emerged that Everton’s Jordan Pickford can surpass Gordon Banks’ clean sheet record.
Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
England’s Jordan Pickford can overtake Gordon Banks with clean sheet vs Albania
Across Pickford’s 73 caps for England, he’s kept a whopping 35 clean sheets, which has him level with the legendary Gordon Banks.
Banks, who won the World Cup in 1966, is considered one of the best goalkeepers this country has ever produced, but Pickford has the chance to surpass his record tonight.
If the Everton shot-stopper does achieve it either against Albania or Latvia on Monday, he’ll move within four clean sheets of the top three record holders.
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Pickford is still some way behind Peter Shilton, who is the current record holder with 66.
# Player Clean sheets
1 Peter Shilton 66
2 Joe Hart 43
3 David Seamen 40
4 Gordon Banks 35
5 Jordan Pickford 35
Pickford not focused on records
Speaking to MailOnline, Pickford revealed that caps or records aren’t his motivation.
“My motivation has never been to chase caps. The bigger motivation is just to be the best goalkeeper I can be and that should hopefully take me to 100 caps because I’m doing the right things for club and country.
“I always want to learn. Every keeper coach you have will have their own ideas. It’s all about improving myself so I have got to use my brain and listen to what he (Hilario) says. How can I get better from what he’s putting on in the session?
“That’s something I enjoy because there’s always change in football and it makes me a better goalkeeper.”