JORDAN SLICKFORD
Keeper has gone from zero to record-breaking hero
BOTTOM of the Conference with Darlington and in his own words “getting battered every week” to a European Championship final – welcome to the crazy world of Jordan Pickford.
He can thank his mentor Mark Prudhoe, Sunderland’s experienced goalkeeping coach, for his comingof-age trips to Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Preston North End.
“It was all about toughening him up because as a kid he was quite thin although there was nothing wrong with his temperament,” said Prudhoe (right).
“He was completely focused and was desperate to do well.
“Without a doubt moving away from Sunderland helped in his development.”
A perfectionist, instead of revelling in the fact that he had usurped the great Gordon Banks by setting a new England record of going 725 minutes without conceding a goal, Pickford was beating himself up following the Three Lions’ semi-final victory against Denmark.
That was over Mikkel Damsgaard’s free-kick which evaded his despairing dive.
Prudhoe said: “For him it’s all about an obsession with protecting his goal.
“That’s what sets him apart from many of his peers.”
Pickford admits he is never afraid to give his former coach an earful. “I still ring him now because he isn’t afraid to tell me what he thinks,” he says. “At Sunderland he knew me as an eight-year-old when I was as daft as a brush.” At the age of 17 he was at the sharp end with Darlington rooted at the foot of the Conference. “It was a great experience even though we were getting battered every week,” he recalled. “It helped turn me from a kid into a man.” A little later he was back in the Conference with Alfreton Town. Nicky Law was the manager. “He was very raw but you could see even then that he was a special talent,” Law said. “I know that Sunderland rated him and felt he had the potential to go right to the top. We tried to sign him permanently but they weren’t having it.” At Preston he impressed former Liverpool and England keeper Chris Kirkland so much that Pickford almost ended up at Anfield.
Kirkland explained: “I told some of the Liverpool staff that Jordan was the best young keeper I had worked with. But obviously nobody listened.”
Finally he broke into the Sunderland side and his manager David Moyes boasted: “Jordan can be England’s number one.”
Everton handed over a club record fee of £30million to land the precocious keeper.
Wayne Rooney, who was at Goodison Park in his second spell, said: “In my eyes he is the best keeper this country has got.”