Nobody can say for sure how England will perform at the World Cup but two weeks before it all gets going against Tunisia in Volgograd there is a growing sense that this will, at the very least, be one of the most clear-minded parties the country has sent to a major tournament. The squad has been picked, the captain named, a system settled on and even the fuss around a player’s tattoo and tardiness managed with minimum fuss.
There is, though, one element of England’s preparations for Russia that remains uncertain: who will be the team’s principal goalkeeper? Gareth Southgate has yet to confirm his choice and has not said whether or not he will do so before the squad departs for the England base in Repino a week on Tuesday. Jordan Pickford is expected to get the nod having played the entirety of the 2-1 victory over Nigeria on Saturday and with Southgate having afterwards described the selection as “a bit of a statement”.
Pickford certainly did his chances no harm with a decent display at Wembley and, based on past experience, the 24-year-old feels relatively sure he will be told sooner rather than later if he is to become England’s youngest tournament goalkeeper.
“I’ve worked with the manager before at under-21 level, so maybe he will tell us in advance, but when that will be I don’t know,” he said. “Nothing’s been confirmed. I’ve just got to keep putting in performances and keep working hard in training. Getting the nod [against Nigeria] was brilliant – there’s another cap ticked off and another solid performance.”
Pickford has made three appearances for England and, as he said himself, performed well each time. He was outstanding in the goalless draw with Germany last November while, a few shaky moments aside, also impressed in the 1-0 win in the Netherlands in March. At the weekend, meanwhile, he was relatively untested but dealt with what Nigeria threw at him – in the second half especially – encouragingly enough and was blameless for the goal Alex Iwobi secured for the visitors on 48 minutes.
All in all Pickford looks like the man Southgate will, and should, select against Tunisia on 18 June – especially given the manager’s other choices are Jack Butland and Nick Pope, two fine goalkeepers but neither a major challenge to the man from Everton in regard to talent. What also makes Pickford the standout choice is the confidence he has in his own capabilities. It borders on arrogance – a trait which all great keepers possess to varying degrees.
“In football you get only one shot and I’ve always taken it,” Pickford said. “I don’t show any pressure on the pitch, I show I can play out from the back and I don’t feel nervous.
“There’s so many good goalkeepers in England and you’ve got to be at your very best [to be selected].
“We’ve got likes of Popey, me, Butland, [Ben] Foster and [Alex] McCarthy, so there’s a lot of competition. But I can only focus on myself and as a goalkeeper you’ve got to have mental toughness – that’s something I’m good at.”
Pickford certainly displayed that during what proved to be a tumultuous debut season at Everton. Amid the managerial upheaval and poor results, the boy from Washington, Tyne and Wear, kept his head and, in the process, 10 clean sheets. He was rightly named Everton’s player of the season and is now looking forward to making his name on the biggest stage possible.
It certainly helps Pickford’s cause that Everton’s goalkeeping coach last season, Martyn Margetson, fulfils the same role with England. The player is quick to point out, however, that the relationship is not only beneficial to his chances but also to his development, which must be a positive for the national team as a whole.
“Maybe it’s an advantage but that means I know how he works and what he wants in training,” Pickford said. “With Martyn it’s all about the basics, like hand positioning, which is key in this game. I’ll ask him questions to see what I can do better. It works well.”
Pickford’s next opportunity to impress comes against Costa Rica on Thursday in England’s final friendly before they head to Russia. Should he be selected and perform well at Elland Road, that should all but seal the No 1 slot for the former Sunderland player.
“I’ve played all the way through the age groups and that was my experience,” Pickford said. “Now I’m on the main stage and I’ve got to play to my strengths.”
