Gary Neville makes Jordan Pickford u-turn
Gary Neville has finally gone on to praise Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The England number one has been the only goalkeeper at Euro 2020 to have started a game and not conceded a goal thus far and has been pivotal in guiding the Three Lions to the quarter-final.
His best performance of the tournament undoubtedly came in the 2-0 win over Germany when he made three saves and narrowed the angle so that Thomas Muller’s one-on-one effort went off target.
Neville took to Twitter earlier today to admit he was wrong about the player and also referred to him as England’s best player of the tournament.
He said, “My MOM last night was Jordan Pickford and I also think he’s been England’s player of the tournament so far.
“I’ve been critical of him with Everton but with England he’s a different player.”
Deserving the plaudits
We’ve sat through hours of footage of pundits picking on Pickford for making mistakes while they don’t hold similar standards for other stoppers. There’s a reason why he’s rated so highly by Gareth Southgate and the Everton coaches.
Previously, England have had really good shot stoppers but they’ve not been particularly good in possession.
They’ve made needless long passes that have ended up costing the team possession and haven’t been considered as vital options for building from the back.
In Pickford, Southgate has his perfect keeper – one who’s capable of doing both. Just like how Ederson revolutionised the way Manchester City play under Pep Guardiola, Pickford’s had a similar impact on England.
Kudos for Neville to admit it this and praise him when he deserves it, and we only wish some of the lazy pundits out there did the same too.
In other Everton news, Toffees want to sign highly-rated talent at cash-strapped club, 22 G+A last season – report
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