England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has silenced his critics at Euro 2020, proving to be the strongest point of a team that has yet to concede a goal in the tournament as it prepares for the quarter-final against Ukraine.
England's first success against Germany in a knockout stage match in 55 years was secured by late goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane at Wembley on Tuesday. However, it was the goalkeeper Pickford, who laid the foundation for the 2:0 victory in the 1/8 finals to ensure qualification to the quarterfinals, a match that will be played on Saturday at the "Olimpico" stadium in Rome. The 27-year-old Pickford stopped Timo Werner's first-half effort by blocking his shot from close range before reacting acrobatically to avoid the danger of midfielder Kai Havertz's effort. And, with England leading by one goal (1-0), Pickford in the 81st minute burst through on goal and narrowed the corner just enough to distract Thomas Mueller, who squandered a golden opportunity to equalize when he shot out.
"I train hard all week to be the best I can be when I get called by the coach to start. I think I made two good saves against England. I felt those were my moments," Pickford admitted. "The atmosphere at that meeting was amazing. This just gives us the desire to win on Saturday. It's another possibility. We will be prepared for Ukraine".
Pickford's heroics were a highlight for the goalkeeper, who has been under pressure over the past year due to a string of errors that cost Everton's Premier League side.
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti warned Pickford that he would have to improve a lot to convince him and left him out of the squad for the Championship game against Newcastle last November. Pickford's judgment was also questioned off the pitch after he was involved in a street brawl when his fiancee was abused during a night out in his hometown of Sunderland in 2019.
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When Burnley's Nick Pope started England's three qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup in March, it looked like Pickford would struggle to regain his first-team keeper spot while also dealing with injury. abdominal muscles.
But he ended the 2019/20 season in better form and Pope was left out of England's squad for the European Championships due to injury. With England coach Gareth Southgate repeatedly voicing his faith in Pickford as his number one, the Everton star has already erased his careless mistakes.
"The position of first-team goalkeeper in the England team is the most controlled position in world football," said England centre-back Harry Maguire. "We have a great goalkeeper behind us. Every time Pickford has worn the England shirt and been the first keeper, he has been magnificent."
Goalkeeper Pickford has been faultless so far at Euro 2020, keeping clean sheets in England's four games to justify Southgate's confidence and underline his reputation as a great goalkeeper. . He was England's hero at the Russia 2018 World Cup as he helped the team qualify for the quarter-finals after saving Colombia striker Carlos Bacca's penalty in the round of 1 match. Not only did Pickford play a key role in England ending their penalty shootout uncertainty, but he was also man of the match when England beat Switzerland on penalties in the 8 Nations League third-place play-off. In fact , Pickford first scored from the penalty spot against Yann Sommer before saving Josip Drmić's penalty. His erratic form at the club has not damaged his confidence and personality at all, transforming Pickford into one of England's leaders at Euro 2019.
"I like Pickford because of his calmness," said former England defender Rio Ferdinand. "He has been criticized over and over again with Everton, but with England, Pickford is proving himself as a goalkeeper on the rise. He is much more confident, and is in control of all situations. Pickford is one of the main players in Europe".
By shouting loudly at England's defenders when they fail to live up to his expectations, Pickford sets his standards high from a world-class goalkeeper.
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"If you keep working hard, then all that work will eventually pay off with good performances. This is my secret. I work hard in training, and on the day of the match I am very prepared and fully focused. This is very important to me," said Pickford. “I just want to be the best Jordan Pickford I can be. That's all I can do in a match, which is what I try my best for."
Gordon Banks is regarded as England's greatest goalkeeper after his role in their 1966 World Cup triumph. However, Pickford could find himself mentioned in the same vein if England take their chance to triumph in the “ Euro 2020", which would be the first trophy in a major tournament since 1966. In fact, with this success, Pickford can complete his rise from liability to legend.
