Jordan Pickford has outlined his ambition for the future and his thoughts on new owners The Friedkin Group as Everton prepare for their first Premier League game at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Jordan Pickford wants the move from Goodison Park to Hill Dickinson Stadium to be the springboard to ending a trophy drought for both Everton and himself.
Today, when they host Brighton & Hove Albion in their new 52,769 capacity base on the Mersey waterfront, the Blues will play the first home game in the league away from Goodison Park since they tackled Bolton Wanderers in their Anfield finale on April 18, 1892. After 133 years at the first purpose-built football ground in England, which was also the venue for the most top flight matches, two FA Cup finals (it was the first English club ground to be awarded the showcase fixture in 1894) and the only English club ground to stage a World Cup semi-final (one of five matches it staged in the 1966 tournament), Everton’s first team have waved goodbye to ‘The Grand Old Lady’ and relocated to Bramley-Moore Dock.
It’s a switch that financial experts have tipped will bring David Moyes’ men an additional £60million-a-year. Despite being the pre-eminent club ground in the country for most of her history, having been overtaken by so many rivals in recent years, Goodison was named as being the third lowest stadium in the Premier League in 2023/24 for generating matchday revenue.
Although only neighbours Liverpool and Manchester United can top Everton’s record for lifting major silverware across nine separate decades, their current trophy drought, which now goes beyond 30 years to when Pickford was just 14 months old, is the longest in their history. With England captain Harry Kane clinching the Bundesliga at the second time of asking with Bayern Munich in 2025 and Marc Guehi lifting the FA Cup with Crystal Palace, Pickford is now the only member of the Three Lions’ starting line-up for the last European Championship final, not to have won a major trophy at club level.
The goalkeeper hopes the Blues’ move to an arena that will enable them to play in front of the biggest regular crowds in their history (they have only once enjoyed an average attendance north of 50,000 over a season with a figure of 51,603 for the 1962/63 title-winning campaign), can be the catalyst to remedying that wait. Pickford said: “I think ambitions can be raised with the new ownership.
“They are a lot driven for success. They want silverware.
“We know how tough it is to win the Premier League. I would say a good example is Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup last season, I think it is a great template for Everton to win silverware as well.
“For me, we want to be successful, we want to be pushing for that top half of the table. That is the ambition from the club and definitely the manager.
“The manager wants to be pushing up that table. I think nine teams have got into Europe this season so we if get into that top half, we have a chance of that as well.
“Step-by-step, we have those ambitions as individuals, as a team, from the manager. I think the new ownership definitely have ambition.
“I think the manager is driven. Every club he’s been at he’s driving for success, and he has been very successful.
“Here in his first spell at Everton, everyone knows the gaffer and the demands he puts on us and himself to be successful. It is about performing and getting it right on the training pitch, that’s my feeling.”
The 31-year-old added: “With what you hear about the owners and the ambition they have, you get a feel for the club. We’re in a lot better position because the last few years have not been ideal for anybody involved but we’ve weathered that storm.
“I’d say it’s like a fresh start this season where we’ve got that ambition to push higher in the table and just keep improving. I’ve known the manager from Sunderland, and he’s come back to Everton, and he was brilliant for us when he took over and he wants us to start how we finished last season, putting good results in, keeping on improving and having that winning mentality.”
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in front of flag displays for the first Premier League game at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in front of flag displays for the first Premier League game at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Having played in the behind closed doors friendly against Port Vale and inaugural first team game in front of fans against Roma, Pickford is now looking forward to experiencing competitive action at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Asked about his first impressions of Everton’s new home, he said: “It is good, it is impressive.
“We played there for the Roma game which was obviously a friendly and the last test event, you never know the real side of the atmosphere until the Premier League gets underway, but I am really looking forward to it.
“The stadium is mega, the whole thing is mega and the fan experience should be great as well. But the fan experience is only good if we get results, that is the main thing.
“I have been excited really. You go to all these stadiums now, prime examples are Arsenal and Tottenham having Highbury and White Hart Lane and now look at their two stadiums.
“There are new chapters for a lot of the clubs. It is new chapter for Everton.
“I am really excited. Goodison has so much history and that experience, tight pitch fans on top of you, you will never get that back again but as a new experience you cannot ask for more from the football club.”
One thing Pickford doesn’t want to change is the fearless approach from James Tarkowski despite the Everton captain giving away a controversial match-winning penalty for Leeds United at Elland Road when he flung his body at the ball and was adjudged to have handled it, even though his arm was by his side. The former Sunderland player said: “I wouldn’t change him. He stops me saving shots!
“I know they give a penalty but for me he puts his body on the line, he is as brave as anything. That is what you want – a proper old school defender.
“Before that, he made two or three great blocks as well. You can’t take that out of someone’s game.
“If you haven’t got that in your game, I would advise to add it to your game as quick as you can.
“It is a dying art and Tarky has done it for numerous years, you saw Jazz (Branthwaite) in the Roma game, he made four blocks. That is part of a defender’s role.”