Laura Woods and Gabby Agbonlahor hit back at critics against Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford
Laura Woods and Gabby Agbonlahor have defended Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford amid the abuse he has suffered over recent years.
Pickford, 27, has received criticism for his performances at Everton since signing from Sunderland in 2017, but it hasn’t been limited to his abilities as a shot-stopper.
The England international was vilified online after he was involved in an incident last season that sidelined Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk for the majority of the 2020/21 campaign.
Speaking on talkSPORT [08/09/21], Woods and Agbonlahor have criticised those that have taken aim at Pickford for that as well as his off-field antics.
“Jordan Pickford particularly, as a lot of footballers do, has had a lot of off-field attention that he’s not wanted when he’s been out drinking with his mates,” Woods said.
“I always remember there was that one where he was getting filmed by somebody, which I think’s really disgusting. Just leave him alone, let them enjoy themselves and have a drink or whatever. He also had that clash with Virgil van Dijk that got him a lot of negativity, I think he got death threats for that one too.”
Agbonlahor said: “I do feel sorry for him, especially with the van Dijk incident because that must have been horrible for him.
“Social media nowadays, imagine the stick he was getting, the dm’s he was getting, the tweets. I feel sorry for him but you’ve got to give him credit, he’s got through it and his performances have been outstanding from there.”
Performances doing the talking
Pickford has certainly received his fair share of criticism over the years from fans and pundits alike.
Much of that has come from those not affiliated with Everton, but it has to be noted that there has been some scepticism over his performances for the Blues over the years.
He is not blame-free for that, as he has made a number of errors during his time on Merseyside.
However, much of it has been blown out of proportion, and the majority of Blues have appreciated his efforts for the most part.
Pickford has been particularly consistent during 2021 and he took his Everton form into the European Championship, where he shone for England as the Three Lions reached the final with five clean sheets.
In other Everton news, an agent has shared a major injury development on this big-money Blues player.
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