Gareth Southgate has heaped praise on Jordan Pickford after the England goalkeeper emerged from a difficult week to inspire the team’s penalty shootout win over Colombia.
The Everton No 1 became the first England goalkeeper since David Seaman, against Argentina in Saint-Etienne in 1998, to save a spot-kick in a shootout at a major tournament as the national team forced their way into the quarter-finals. Pickford’s display against Belgium in the final group game had provoked some criticism, while his opposite number, Thibaut Courtois, had suggested he was too short.
Southgate, whose team face Sweden in Samara on Saturday, first pinpointed the fingertip save Pickford had mustered in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes as an indication of the 24-year-old’s qualities, before the goalkeeper made a profound mark in the shoot-out. “It was a top-class save, and I was surprised he could reach it given his height,” said the manager through a smile. “His athleticism around the goal is excellent and he executed the plan in the penalty shootout.
“We’d studied all their takers, and great credit should go to the collective of staff, and to Jordan, for taking on board that information and preparing in the right way. You don’t always get what you deserve in life but I think we did against Colombia.
“Even when [Jordan Henderson’s] penalty was saved, I’ve seen enough shootouts to know the first miss isn’t the key one. I believed our goalkeeper would save one, and the technique of our players in taking them was superb throughout. There, too, I have to credit a big support team who have done a lot of work in that area over the last few months.”
Pickford, who only boasts seven senior caps, had lost in a shootout to Germany in the semi-finals of last year’s European Under-21s Championship, but made amends in Moscow. “We did our research on them for starters, with Marg [the goalkeeping coach, Martyn Margetson] and the analysis staff,” he said. “I had a fair feeling. Radamel Falcao was really the only one who didn’t go ‘his’ way. But it’s set, react and go power. I don’t care if I’m not the biggest keeper. I’ve got that power and agility to get around the goal. I’ve very good at it.”
Southgate had seen his side ship an equaliser deep into stoppage time but remained calm as he encouraged his players to focus ahead of the extra period. “At 90 minutes, the message was that we were in total control,” he explained. “We’d suffered a huge set-back, but we had to stay calm. They hadn’t created many chances and we had to keep belief in the way we were playing.
“At the end of the game, I needed to give them their individual time. But there was no use shouting or getting them overhyped. We were in control of the process. It was ours to own. I had trust in their techniques. Great credit to them that they executed it.
“I was completely calm and focused until Eric Dier had executed [scored the winning penalty]. I didn’t want to get carried away. I’d said to Steve Holland: ‘OK, we’re really doing it the hard way’ because we even lost the toss, which the statistics show makes it even more difficult to come through. But we were joking about that and relaxed. It was great to be in the arms of your staff at that moment. It’s a collective effort. Everyone has put so much in to get to this point.”
