The England number one opens up on his loyalty to the Blues and why he believes he can achieve success at Everton
Jordan Pickford celebrates after Everton's win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. Photo by Izzy Poles - AMA/Getty Images
Jordan Pickford celebrates after Everton's win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. Photo by Izzy Poles - AMA/Getty Images
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Jordan Pickford wants to win silverware and does not believe playing for Everton has to be a barrier to that dream. The 31-year-old has lived two different careers over recent seasons, leading England to the brink of glory on the international stage while fighting gruelling relegation battles with the Blues at home.
Yet he has not been tempted by the allure of European football and greater opportunities to taste club success elsewhere despite his growing reputation on the world stage.
He has found happiness on Merseyside and believes helping the club win a trophy for the first time since 1995 would be the perfect way to repay Everton for the loyalty the club and its fanbase has shown to him.
Through the years of on and off the pitch chaos at Everton two things have remained constant - questions over whether Pickford, a hero for the Three Lions, would push for a move to a club in a more glamorous situation and the emphatic answer, that he has been happy in Royal Blue.
That commitment was showcased when he signed a new deal in early 2023, as the club faced the threat of relegation from the Premier League amid boardroom chaos as Everton fell apart behind the scenes.
Speaking ahead of the visit of Manchester United on Monday, Pickford said: “It's just a great club for me. Opportunities might have arisen and might not have. We'll never know because I'm at Everton.
“There is always speculation, no matter if it's me or any other players in the world. That is what football is about but it's about just doing what you can as your best self, enjoying the ride and the journey. My journey is Everton and from Sunderland to Everton, it's been a transition. I've kind of grown into it.”
Through four successive survival fights no player did more to save the club than Pickford, whose consistent brilliance was fundamental to the club surviving the drop under Frank Lampard, Sean Dyche then David Moyes.
One consequence has been the growth of his relationship with a fanbase that loves him. Pickford is routinely serenaded from the stands with a new chant that emerged at the end of last season, one in which he is heralded as being “dynamite”. He makes no secret of the fact he loves the song.
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The Sunderland academy graduate signed a new deal in October, one that will take his stay at the club to 2029 - 12 years of service. It was fitting that securing his future was seen as crucial as Everton attempt to build under new ownership, the Friedkin Group (TFG) having brought stability to the club since their takeover was completed at the end of 2024.
The decision to extend his stay was an easy one for Pickford, who said: “We always knew when the new ownership came in that it was going to balance the club and with the new stadium we were going to go in that upward direction. It was the perfect time to do it. It's all on us as players, but when you've got the stability of the club behind you, the whole place, the whole environment becomes a lot better. The football takes care of itself a lot easier and we're not thinking of other things away from football.”
The hope now is the platform provided by TFG will help the club push for better days on the pitch. A season of progress could yet end with qualification for Europe and that is the hope for Pickford, whose belief Everton can offer him a route to success is founded in the fact every one of his 81 England caps has come while playing for the club.
He said: “When I joined we were in Europe, we know the history of Everton Football Club, there's a lot of fantastic history, a lot of trophies won, a lot of titles won, and it's how do we, as Everton players, now create our own history?
“We've seen over the last couple of years Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup and getting into Europe, Nottingham Forest getting into Europe, I know they're not having the best of seasons but they got into Europe, they were close to getting Champions League football last season, we've seen Newcastle winning the League Cup when they've not won a trophy for a long time. The opportunities are there, it's about taking them and grasping them with both hands when you get that opportunity.”