Pickford says he’ll handle the big tournament heat
JORDAN PICKFORD sounded very convincing when discussing how rough things could get for him in Russia.
Everton’s keeper is hot favourite to start in goal for England when they open their World Cup campaign against Tunisia a fortnight today.
The 24-year-old got the nod at Wembley on Saturday against Nigeria.
And he confidently predicted he can handle whatever comes his way at the World Cup.
“As a goalkeeper you’ve got to have mental toughness and that’s one thing I’m good at,” he said.
“I don’t show any pressure on the pitch, I show I can play out from the back. I don’t feel nervous. I’m embracing the environment.
“I always take my opportunities – in football you only get one shot and you’ve got to take it and I’ve always taken it.”
Pickford may feel that way right now. But he has never sampled the incredible pressure that comes with representing your country on football’s biggest stage.
Saturday’s 2-1 win was just his third appearance for England – all of them friendlies – following his previous starts in a goalless draw with Germany last autumn and the 1-0 defeat of Holland in March.
His man rival for the key role is Stoke’s Jack Butland, who only has seven caps himself, with two of them coming in competitive matches, albeit both against Lithuania.
The third keeper in Gareth Southgate’s squad is complete international rookie Nick Pope of Burnley.
So the Three Lions go to Russia with a trio of keepers with a combined tally of 10 international appearances.
When all the 23-man squads are confirmed with FIFA today, it is hard to imagine any other country having so little experience between the sticks.
And the risk of a disaster which will make you public enemy No.1 is always just one slip away for an England keeper.
Mistake
Bournemouth’s Artur Boruc summed up the job brilliantly when he said: “Being a goalkeeper is like the guy in the military who makes the bombs – one mistake and everyone gets blown up.”
England’s recent major tournament history features a couple of shattering mistakes.
At Euro 2016 Joe Hart made a shocking howler to let in Gareth Bale’s free-kick against Wales.
Worse was to come when he publicly apologised for the Iceland winner which sent England crashing out of the tournament, after one of the most humiliating results in Three Lions history.
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Rob Green failed miserably to keep out another long-range drive, from the USA’s Clint Dempsey. It can be argued both keepers never fully recovered.
Ironically, Pickford, when asked what his first World Cup memory was, said: “The South Korea and Japan one – the Ronaldinho and Seaman one, unfortunately!”
He was referring to the Brazil ace’s infamous 40-yard free-kick in 2002, which looped over David Seaman and into the net.
It is not Southgate’s fault that England don’t have an experienced keeper in top form. The decline and fall from grace of Hart has been almost tragic to witness.
Pickford was not at fault for Nigeria’s goal – the first at international level he has conceded – which came from Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi, after Gary Cahill and Harry Kane had scored for England.
But if his world does fall apart at the World Cup, the ex-Sunderland star does have someone he knows well in his corner to help him through any tough times ahead.
England goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson also worked with Pickford at Everton, although he left Goodison Park last month following the departure of Sam Allardyce.
“Martyn’s been my goalkeeping coach at Everton for the last six months or so. We work on a lot of stuff so when I came here I knew what’s expected,” said Pickford.
“Maybe that’s an advantage because I know what he wants but Butland’s been in the system for a while.
“Popey’s the relatively new one so he’s still getting to grasp what Martyn’s about.”