Big Jack is the safe bet

ENGLAND have been blessed with some very good goalkeepers in the past. Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence took turns in the Seventies, while there has also been Nigel Martyn, David Seaman, David James and more. Due to Joe Hart’s loss of form, the door is now open for a new No 1. Jordan Pickford’s confidence is exciting but I worry about when the ball is whipped in from a set-piece or corner. At 6ft 1in, is he commanding enough to handle it? A lack of height is not his fault, of course, but opponents could look to expose that. Nick Pope has hardly put a glove wrong at Burnley this season and is in the squad on merit, but his lack of experience would be a concern. For me, the job should go to Butland. What I like in a goalkeeper is presence and calmness, and the 25-year-old has those qualities. People might point to the goals he has conceded at Stoke this season but you could pick out weaknesses in all of the goalkeepers. Personally, I see Butland as the safest bet.