Seaman – Pickford made the right move
DAVID Seaman believes Jordan Pickford made the right decision leaving Sunderland for Everton in the summer as it increases his chances of becoming England number one.
Washington-born Pickford is among a number of keepers pushing hard to be on the plane to Russia for next summer’s World Cup, while regular number one Joe Hart finds his spot in the starting XI under pressure.
Pickford has been regularly in the Three Lions squads recently, but is yet to receive his first cap. That could change in the next week as Gareth Southgate plans to use Friday’s friendly against Germany and Tuesday’s against Brazil to experiment and give younger players a chance.
Having come through the academy at Sunderland and stepping up to number one last season, Pickford impressed for the Black Cats in an otherwise bleak campaign which saw them relegated from the Premier League.
And Seaman, who won 75 caps for England, believes joining Everton was the right move as it helps him learn to deal with the pressures needed to be England’s number one.
He told the Everton club website: “Jordan is very, very good. He has made a step up by joining Everton, which is good. A lot of people do not realise these different steps you have to take as a goalkeeper.
“He was at Sunderland and had a lot to do but, without any disrespect to Sunderland, there was not a massive amount of expectation there.
“There is a far greater demand for success at Everton, so he will be getting used to that – and getting used to playing behind a new back four. He can then take that experience on to England.
“They are little steps that he needs to be taking throughout his career, he is learning and has everything he needs to be a proper goalkeeper.”
There’s plenty of competition for the three places on the plane for goalkeepers, but Seaman sees no reason why Pickford can’t be a serious contender to go to Russia.
“At that sort of age, what I look for is consistency and how many mistakes he makes that cost goals,” Seaman continued. “When I would chat with Bob Wilson (Seaman’s goalkeeping coach at Arsenal and a former double-winner with the Gunners), we would look back at the season and identify errors I had made. “Three or four that cost your team across a long season is acceptable – any more than that and we would have needed to have a good look at why that was happening. “Jordan is definitely in the frame for England. There is competition: Jack Butland, Tom Heaton – Fraser Forster is still in the mix. “Joe Hart, for me, is still really good. People question you when you are the England keeper for a long time – I know that from experience.
“Joe deals with it, he is still a good goalkeeper. It is down to the lads under Joe to get better and push him.”
Without any disrespect to Sunderland, there was not a massive amount of expectation there David Seaman