THE TIMES (Thanks to Ov on TPF)
When Hajduk Split’s Ahmed Said tried to outfox Jordan Pickford from the penalty spot on Thursday night, the Everton goalkeeper stayed composed.
“It’s a game of poker,” Pickford says. “He was a bit daft the way he looked the other way [to Pickford’s left] before taking the pen. I thought I’d got this if I go the other way. We do a lot of research. Our staff have it [footage of each taker’s usual kick] on the iPad.
“Patrick [Lodewijks], the ’keeper coach, was pointing where he goes, to the bottom right. I didn’t actually see him. I was so focused, trying to say ‘I’m going to save this’. I was going to go that way anyway, looking at the run-up.”
Pickford was part of the England squad at the European Under-21 Championship
Pickford was part of the England squad at the European Under-21 Championship
GETTY IMAGES
Pickford dived right, saving easily. “It wasn’t a very good penalty but it was an important moment,” he says. “If they’d scored that [making it 2-1 to Split, 3-2 to Everton aggregate], it was going to be a game-changer because of the way their fans would have reacted, getting behind them even more. It was hostile but I thrived on it.”
He would probably have been named man of the match had Gylfi Sigurdsson not scored with that outrageous long-range strike on his debut. “I heard him say he had no other option on, so he just went for it,” Pickford says. “Not a bad effort for his first goal. We know what Gylfi’s like at set pieces and assists but I don’t think he’ll score a better one than that.”
Pickford is speaking at Finch Farm, having flown back from Croatia and headed for a 45-minute warm-down before heading upstairs to the library to talk, reflecting first on the Europa League draw.
“I was hoping we’d get AC Milan, to go to the San Siro, which I’ve never experienced,” he says. “It’s a good draw. Lyons, Atalanta and [Apollon] Limassol, tough opponents, but we could have been doing the Kazakhstan travel thing.”
On the shelf behind him are books about Dixie Dean, Alan Ball, Howard Kendall, Colin Harvey and Neville Southall, Everton’s most famous goalkeeper and a big fan of Pickford.
Pickford had a passion for boxing, as well as football, growing up
Pickford had a passion for boxing, as well as football, growing up
BRADLEY ORMESHER/THE TIMES
“Good luck, go smash it,” Southall tweeted Pickford when he signed. Pickford was delighted. “Southall’s a legend, someone as a ’keeper I look up to,” he says.
Pickford, who hails from Washington, County Durham, is grounded and driven. “I come from a working-class background, my dad’s always worked. He left home as a 16-year-old to work as a game-keeper on Lord Lambton’s estate, a famous one up north [near Chester-le-Street]. They get a lot of the billionaires come over to do the shoot. My dad’s still working now, he’s got his own business, being a builder, does it all himself, plastering.”
Pickford’s mother still works at his old school, St Robert of Newminster. “She helps the kids, looks after the kids,” he says. “My parents made sacrifices for me. That’s why I reward them now playing in front of big crowds and giving everything.”
Pickford’s brother, Richard, would get him involved in kickabouts near their house in Washington, ordering his younger sibling to “get on that tarmac, lad, and dive about”. Pickford, six at the time, loved it, throwing himself around, fearless. “I was always a bit mad in goal,” he recalls.
Pickford had to be patient and wait for his chance at Sunderland
Pickford had to be patient and wait for his chance at Sunderland
SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGES
Peter Schmeichel was an inspiration. “I was really young, but with the Champions League nights on ITV, I’d watch him, see the saves he’d make,” he says. “He’d spread himself. I can do the star jump when I need it. I’m always learning, trying to become the best.”
Aged eight, Pickford was mesmerised by the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Brazil. “We were going to school early, because of the time difference, and watching England on a massive TV, having our breakfast in the sports hall,” he says. “I remember Ronaldinho scored the goal that went over [David] Seaman. He meant it, yes, because Ronaldinho was quality.”
Football was not Pickford’s only passion growing up. “When I was, nine, ten, eleven, I’d go boxing at Washington Boxing Club. Pat and Luke [McCormack] were there before going to Birtley Boxing Club. Pat [who fought at the Rio Olympics] and Luke have just gone to the World Championship. I wished them all the best. I’m even more happy coming here because of Tony Bellew [Evertonian] as well. I’m into boxing loads. Unfortunately I won’t be able to watch Mayweather-McGregor because I’ll be asleep, preparing for Chelsea.”
Rooney has had a major impact on the younger players at Everton, says Pickford
Rooney has had a major impact on the younger players at Everton, says Pickford
AP
His journey towards the top was assisted by Kevin Ball in the Sunderland academy. “Bally was massive for me, a great coach,” he says. “He wouldn’t give any leeway. We had to do our jobs properly. All the apprentice stuff, clean the dressing room, making sure everything’s tidy, and putting dubbin on coaches’ boots and if they were [Copa] Mundials keeping them away from the white [Adidas] lines. Bally had a pair and he didn’t want any black on the white lines.”
Knowing he needed to play and develop, Pickford spent 121 games on loan at Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Preston North End. “I learnt so much playing for Darlington as a 17-year-old, against men, a great physical and mental test, getting battered by big centre forwards, playing against players who were playing for their mortgages. I thrived on it,” he says.
“That’s why I went on loan, learning, growing up. I got my goalkeeping identity because every ’keeper is different. Everton fans have been brilliant to me. I’ll get my side-volley [delivery] out now and then and they’ll like that. Every goalkeeper has to be brave, I’m commanding, I come for crosses.” He doesn’t worry about the physical risks in diving at an opponent’s feet. “No,” he says. “I haven’t got the prettiest face anyway. It’s part of the job, as long as you have the right technique, get behind the ball, do it properly.”
Pickford’s distribution is an eye-catching part of his game
Pickford’s distribution is an eye-catching part of his game
GETTY IMAGES
He worked hard, toughened up and was brought back to Sunderland by Sam Allardyce. “Big Sam helped me massively, and David Moyes put faith in me when Vito Mannone got injured,” he says. “When Vito came back fit, I kept performing, doing what I could do best to keep the shirt.”
He kept making significant saves, including a string against Tottenham Hotspur. He recalls the game with a sense of frustration too. “I made a good save from [Érik] Lamela, but the ref gave a goalkick,” he says. “I wanted to say, ‘Hey, ref I’ve just tipped it round the post, give us a bit of credit.’ ”
When I grew up, I said to myself I want to play for England
Everton invested an initial £25 million to sign him and the 23-year-old has felt immediately at home. “Wayne [Rooney] has been great. He’s a legend in the game. He helps everyone out,” he says. Ronald Koeman stirs similar admiration. “I knew he played for Barça; goalscoring centre half, free-kick specialist,” he says. “I hope he doesn’t try his free kicks on me; he might put them in the top corner.”
Koeman started eight Englishmen, including Pickford and Rooney, in the draw away to Manchester City on Monday when Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin also caught the eye. “Mase is athletic, knows his job; as well as defensively, he can get forward,” he says. “He’s an out ball as well because of his aerial presence; he’s a target for me. Dominic was brilliant against City, put a right shift in, made hard work for them, came off holding his head high, and set the goal up [for Rooney]. The gaffer has put faith in him.”
Asked whether Everton can finish in the Champions League positions, Pickford replies: “We’d like to. We’re an ambitious group of lads but there’s that much competition in the Premier League, so it’ll be tough. We got a point against City, and look at the money they spent, look at the quality they’ve got in their side. In the latter stages in the game, we’d thought we’ve got this in the bag, then Raz [Raheem Sterling] produced a good volley.
Pickford is in the England squad alongside Hart, a goalkeeper he has looked up to for years
Pickford is in the England squad alongside Hart, a goalkeeper he has looked up to for years
RICHARD SELLERS/PA
“It’s great for the club giving the young ones a chance. Michael [Keane] is brilliant, a solid centre half, great to have him there, and we’ve got Ash [Ashley Williams] and Jags [Phil Jagielka] as well, proven Premier League players. I feel like we’re not going to get broken down. It’s a good mix of experienced and young.”
On his Twitter page, Pickford has a picture of him when he was called up to replace Tom Heaton in the squad to face Slovenia in October. Pickford is sitting alongside Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Keane, John Stones and Eric Dier.
I’ve got to keep performing, and be a good person, a good character
“All young lads,” he says. “I thought it was a good one to put as my Twitter photo. Gareth [Southgate] is great like that, puts a lot of faith in the young lads. There’s a new generation coming through. Look at the summer England have had through the age groups, the most successful they’ve been.”
At 1pm on Thursday, Pickford received a text message from the FA informing him that he
had been named as one of Southgate’s four goalkeepers with Joe Hart, Jack Butland and Heaton for the qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia. “I was praying I’d be in it, with me having a good under-21 Euros,” he says. “England are massively important to me. When I grew up, I said to myself I want to play for England. I’ve got to keep performing every week for Everton, keeping the shirt, and hopefully that will take me to Russia [for the World Cup]. I want it but I don’t want to step on anyone’s feet. I’ve looked up to Joe for years. They’re a great group of goalkeepers, and there’s the ‘GK union’. I’ll always be supportive of whoever plays, we want a successful England side.”
Butland could be Pickford’s biggest rival for the England No 1 shirt
Butland could be Pickford’s biggest rival for the England No 1 shirt
CARL RECINE/ACTION IMAGES VIA REUTERS
The quality of strikers testing him in training will improve him further. There’s Jamie Vardy’s finishing and “Marcus is sharp, Jermain [Defoe] is little touch and snap-shot. Harry [Kane] is pretty much the same, gets a little touch, and if he thinks he can shoot, he will from anywhere.”
Mention of Defoe inevitably turns the conversation towards Bradley Lowery, the six-year-old Sunderland fan who died of cancer last month. “Jermain was a massive help for Bradley. We all loved Bradley. Bradley would come in the dressing room, bouncing about, loving it. He said to me, ‘I’ve got those gloves at home, are you any good!?’ He was great to have around.
“It was sad; the whole country stood with Bradley passing away. Football goes out of the window at times like that. I trained with Marton Fulop [who passed away from cancer in 2015] when I was really young, so it was terrible to see what happened to him.”
Pickford is grounded, focused and committed to his profession. “I’ve got to keep performing, and be a good person, a good character.”
