Pickford my No.1 choice
GARETH SOUTHGATE says cool, calm and collected Jordan Pickford is the rock England’s unbreakable defence is built on.
The Everton goalkeeper has bounced back strongly after an early-season wobble for his club and is in the form of his life.
And Southgate claims the Three Lions are in safe hands after commanding performances from Pickford, who has kept three clean sheets at the Euros.
The England boss said: “He’s been excellent. The last couple of months of the season, his performances have been very calm for his club.
“He’s in a really good place and he’s given us a really solid start point for what has been strong defence from the whole team.”
Pickford kept four clean sheets in his last eight games of the Premier League season for Everton and his decision-making was much improved. He has ■ by PAUL BROWN also kept 17 clean sheets in 34 caps for his country now – and was a hero at the last World Cup with his penalty shoot-out save against Colombia.
But one of his big assets is his distribution and he was pinging 40-yard passes to the feet of the forwards in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Czech Republic.
As well as making one big save, he completed 11 of his 20 long balls in the game and had an overall passing accuracy of 75 per cent.
It is one of the big reasons Southgate made him England’s No.1 and he claims it could be vital going forward.
The Three Lions chief said: “He has been decisive at the right moments for us and has made good decisions with the ball at his feet.
“You have seen the range of passing he’s got. He has dropped a few in to the front players.
“He has been able to play through the lines.”