JORDAN ON ROAD TO SUCCESS
Pickford 6; Coleman 6 (Kenny (45th) 6), Keane 6, Mangala 5 (Williams (45th) 6), Martina 6; Gueye 6 (Schneiderlin 80th), Rooney 6, Walcott 6, Davies 7, Sigurdsson 7; Niasse 6 and hopefully that means being No.1 – so I have no holidays booked in June.
“Hopefully my holiday will be in Russia and we can try and bring something home for the fans.”
Pickford’s road to the top with Everton, following his £25million summer move, has been a long and winding one.
The first time he went in nets was for a junior side near the Pickford home in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
He started his journey with Sunderland’s academy, then their reserves before moving into the senior side in addition to loan spells at six clubs – Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Preston North End.
So did he ever doubt he was going to make it in the game he loved?
“No. With all those loans, it was all leading to be the CRYSTAL PALACE: Hennessey 6; Ward 6, FosuMensah 6, Tomkins 5, Van Aanholt 6; Townsend 6, Cabaye 6, Milivojevic 7, McArthur 6; Benteke 5, Sorloth 6 best I can be as a player,” added Pickford, 23. “I had faith in myself and the belief and faith of my coaches who sent me out on loan.
“If you are a young lad going to senior clubs, you have got to take that chance and I always grasped it with two hands. I just love playing football and that helps.
“Now I’m at Everton and the top six is where we want to be as a club. None of us want to lose games and it hurts. But we can’t dwell on it.
“We’ve got big characters – and hopefully I’m one of them – to help the other lads as well. I’m reminded of the size of the transfer but I don’t think it has affected me.
“Hopefully it makes me better because I’ve got to prove to people how good I am.”
Everton in the Community is celebrating its 30th anniversary and Jordan Pickford and Cuco Martina went along to visit participants from the charity’s Safe Hands and Breathing Space programmes to find out more about the work that the charity does with young offenders and children at risk of entering the care system. Gylfi Sigurdsson J Moss Watford (A), Feb 24 Tottenham (H), Feb 26