Rio Ferdinand waxes lyrical of Everton goalee Jordan Pickford
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been lauded by former England defender Rio Ferdinand.
With a 2-0 victory over Germany, Pickford continued to be the only keeper in the tournament not to have conceded a goal thus far.
He made three saves on the evening and also narrowed the angle that made it tougher for Thomas Muller to find the back of the net.
Pickford was duly praised by Ferdinand in the aftermath of the game.
He told BBC One, “I like Pickford because of his composure, for England this fella seems to grow, he seems more confident.
“That’s something that has been a criticism in an Everton shirt but in an England shirt this fella seems to grow. He’s more confident, he controls situations, we saw the Thomas Muller chance he’s being tall and as long as he can.
“This situation (a save from Kai Havertz) is a big moment of the game and these goalkeepers make saves at important times. In an England shirt, he has done that remarkably well.”
Loving the improvement
Pickford has been a maligned player in the past few seasons because of his shaky moments in goal for Everton.
There had even been calls from the fanbase to even find a better keeper, but the England international did not let that get to his head.
Instead, he put in that extra effort on the training pitch which eventually resulted him being such an influential player for club and country.
Not only is he improved with his shot-stopping abilities, he’s also looked sharper in possession and has orchestrated attacks with some exceptional passes from the back.
His height certainly helps him reach most crosses into the box, but his handling has massively improved over the last 12-18 months.
We couldn’t be prouder that our number one is doing himself and his country proud.
Long may it continue.
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