Everton: Darren Bent picks Jordan Pickford as England’s best goalkeeper in his lifetime
Jordan Pickford has not only been a shining light in the Everton team for some time, but also a national hero for his performances for England.
He made a number of big saves during the Three Lions’ run to the Euro 2020 final and previously helped Gareth Southgate’s side win an iconic penalty shoot-out win against Colombia in the 2018 World Cup.
Frank Lampard is the latest manager to be revelling in his abilities but talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent thinks he is far better than some people have given him credit for.
“The obvious one that comes to mind is Gordon Banks but I didn’t see him play,” Bent said while discussing England’s all-time best goalkeepers.
“I love David Seaman for obvious reasons but I’d maybe say Pickford has been more consistent for England.
“If you’re talking about club form, Pickford is not better than Seaman, but in my lifetime we’ve had David James, Paul Robinson, Joe Hart. It would have to be Pickford.”
Stretch too far
England are enjoying our most successful few years since that 1966 World Cup win with a semi-final and a final in the last two tournaments and Pickford has been between the sticks for every game of each competition.
But to say he’s the best England goalkeeper of the last 30-40 years is a bit of a stretch and a disservice to the likes of Seaman and Hart who have produced high-quality performances over a slightly longer period.
If the Toffees number one goes to Qatar and stars as we lift the World Cup for the second time, then he almost certainly does become the absolute best because he’s the only one with a trophy to show off.
But given how poor the national team has been for a considerable amount of time, it is almost unfair to compare Pickford to other eras and that goes for players in every position.
What we can say with absolute confidence is that the Sunderland-born shot-stopper is Southgate’s first choice right now and he will continue to be so for the 2022 World Cup unless injury prevents him from playing.
In other Everton news, a new three-year deal has been offered to one of the Toffees’ homegrown talents as they look to fend off interest from the Premier League and Bundesliga.
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