Jordan Pickford playing for Everton is one of England’s biggest problems – Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit has picked out five England players that are not playing at a high enough club level, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford included.
England reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup this winter before crashing out to France with a 2-1 defeat.
Pickford played every minute for Gareth Southgate’s team but was criticised by Roy Keane for his role in France’s opener. The ITV pundit claimed the Everton goalkeeper should have been quicker and more aggressive. [Daily Star]
The latest pundit to criticise Pickford is Gullit, who suggested the 28-year-old was part of England’s problems in Qatar.
As per the Daily Express, Gullit said: “England has the most beautiful and biggest league in the world, but the five biggest clubs do not have English internationals playing in the most crucial positions. That is killing the national team.
“There should be England players there, as they then get used to winning big trophies all the time. You win more with the bigger clubs.”
The report adds: “The Dutchman singled out five players who summed up the problem with Pickford, Maguire, Stones, Rice and Kane all either not playing at high enough levels or playing frequently enough.”
Not to blame
Pickford cannot be blamed for England’s downfall. Sure, he wasn’t at his best for France’s opener but he did more than enough to keep the Three Lions in the game, and missed chances stopped England from levelling things up.
On top of that, Pickford was perhaps England’s player of the tournament at the European Championships last year. He did enough in the penalty shootout vs Italy to go down as a national hero.
Using Pickford’s club status is a poor excuse. Southgate has brought far more success to this England team by picking players based on form rather than which club they play for like Gullit suggests.
Any player regularly playing in the Premier League is playing top-level football week in, and week out. Pickford has been a standout performer for the Toffees over the last two seasons and may not have even been starting for England had he moved to a bigger team but not played as regularly.
Limiting the entire England team to players in just five or six teams is small-minded and not a way to improve the national team or the quality of the Premier League. Players should know that they can make the England setup by playing well in the top flight regardless of what shirt they wear.