Pickford, young England squad are keepers
MOSCOW — Jordan Pickford's journey to Luzhniki Stadium for England's World Cup semifinal against Croatia on Wednesday — one to be witnessed by 80,000 on site and millions back home — passed through Haig Avenue, a century-old stadium in seaside Southport, England, with seating capacity for 1,600 and standing room for twice as many.
It stopped at a venue called The Lamb Ground, on a plot in Tamworth once used for a pig farm. In Braintree, he performed in front of 409 souls.
Contrasting the program's glamorous past — one that featured players who rose to fame almost the moment they signed teenage contracts — this history-making English national team was built on the shoulders of several regulars who took slower paths to success.
There is no one on SEMIFINAL Today: Croatia vs. England, 2 p.m., Fox THIRD PLACE Saturday: Belgium vs. Croatia-England loser, 10 a.m., Fox CHAMPIONSHIP Sunday: France vs. Croatia-England winner, 11 a.m., Fox the 23-man roster even close to the superstardom of David Beckham and Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Harry Kane, the standout striker, is the most well-known, but he too needed to climb the league ladder before landing on the elite pro circuit.
This squad contrasts with those high-end teams in another big way: It's winning.
With a victory Wednesday, the Three Lions would end a 52-year gap between appearances in the championship game.
Using international appearances, they were the least experienced squad in the 32-team field that began play almost a month ago. By age, they are third youngest.
"We've had the chance to make a difference," said coach Gareth Southgate, a former defender who used to guide the under-21 national squad. "Our supporters, our country, have had a long time of suffering in terms of football. The enthusiasm they have for these players, because of the way they not only have played but the way they've conducted themselves. … they've been brilliant ambassadors for our country."
Pickford, 24, was loaned by Sunderland six times to gain experience, sending him to small clubs, such as Darlington and Alfreton Town in the sixth-tier National League.
Reflecting on what those days did for his career, Pickford said: "I got a lot of games under my belt in the lower leagues, and I don't feel the Premier League or (national team) is that much different. In some way, nonleague and League Two was the hard challenge."
Southgate also saw his potential, awarding him with a national team debut in the fall. Pickford arrived in Russia with just three international appearances. In the World Cup, however, he has given sterling performances against Colombia in the round of 16 and Sweden in the quarterfinals. With a 2-0 victory over the Swedes, he became the youngest English goalkeeper to record a World Cup shutout.
"We were never quite sure how far this team could go,” Southgate said. “The age of the players, the improvement in the players, the hunger in the players has been apparent for everybody to see. … It's been a really enjoyable journey and we want to keep it going."