NOT MUCH has gone right for Jordan Pickford recently, on the pitch at least.
The England keeper has been in the line of fire following a series of scratchy displays for Everton.
Gareth Southgate says Jordan PIckford is still his number one for Euro 2020
Pickford’s fumbling and failed effort to keep out Bruno Fernandes’ daisy-cutter in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Goodison on Sunday summed up his miserable form and left him holding his head in despair.
However, off the pitch, matters have fared considerably better as he married childhood sweetheart Megan Davison on Monday.
Then Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate used the Nations League draw in Amsterdam yesterday to tell the world Pickford is very much still his England No 1.
It is partly loyalty to a keeper who has been an integral part of the England success story under Southgate.
Yet it was also a clear and public show of faith in a man who has never let his country down — and who has not conceded a goal in his 24 England appearances that Southgate thinks he should have stopped.
Southgate said: “I’ve not changed my confidence in him. Jordan has played exceptionally well for us for the last three years.
“His performances for us, throughout, have been outstanding.
“I think he has been a key part of some big, big results that we have had and that is clear to everybody.”
Dean Henderson, the Manchester United stopper on loan at Sheffield United, and Burnley’s Nick Pope are hammering on the door to replace 25-year-old Pickford in light of his recent displays.
Southgate conceded: “I understand the question and he knows that there’s probably been a couple of goals of late he would probably want to do better with.
“The weekend goal is one he would want to do better with but then he made outstanding saves at the end of the game.
“That is the life of a goalkeeper.
“But the spotlight when you have ‘England international’ attached to your name is greater on and off the pitch.
“It is the reality of the job, so I don’t think he will be shying away from that.
“He knows that and he’s more than capable of coping with that.
“All the time I have known him he has been a very resilient character.
“He’s also got a very experienced manager at his club now to help with it.
“It’s interesting to see how they respond and react in these situations, so I am expecting him to bounce back.”
For all Southgate’s show of support, Pickford will know he heads into the Euros under pressure to justify his place.
And he will want to remain as England’s first choice going into the Nations League and the start of the 2022 World Cup qualification campaign next season.
Pickford was handed his England chance after Joe Hart’s calamities were partly to blame for the humiliating 2-1 defeat to Iceland that saw the Three Lions dumped out of Euro 2016.
Now Southgate’s men have a chance to exorcise the ghost of that dark night, along with games against world No 1 Belgium and their planned March 31 Wembley friendly opponents Denmark.
Reminded of the night that accounted for former boss Roy Hodgson, Southgate said: “I think the players have been trying to put that behind them with their general performances anyway.
“I’ve just seen Iceland FA president Gudni Bergsson — and they’re looking forward to it clearly.
“But it’s a game that’s a different sort of test.
“Iceland have had a difficult 12 months in terms of where their team are at but it’s a game we’ve got to be well prepared for because we know the risk involved.”
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez said: “It will be special to play England again.
“This time it’s completely different to the World Cup.
“We’ll play in Brussels, which gives us an opportunity to welcome England to Belgium, and then going to Wembley is always a very special occasion for all the fans and us as a team.
“The players in both dressing rooms share club-level dynamics making it interesting for everyone.”
Whether Pickford is still around for those games is down to him.
But despite his complaints about pundits and fans in general, he cannot say his England manager hates him.
Or ask for more backing.
England draw Euro 2016 tormentors Iceland, Belgium and Denmark in Nations League group
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
