Italy legend Gianluca Pagliuca raves about Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford
Former Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca has praised Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after his brilliant performance in the World Cup for England.
Pagliuca, who has made over 600 appearances in his club career and was the first-choice goalkeeper for Italy in the 1994 World Cup, feels that Pickford lacks consistency.
Pickford is known for his fantastic distributions, but Pagliuca suggests he needs to improve on his footwork.
“I like him as a goalkeeper, he has got real ability,” Pagliuca told Walfoot.
“Last season, he saved Everton with a number of saves. But maybe he lacks consistency, even if we mustn’t forget that he plays for Everton, a club that is playing in the drop zone. That doesn’t help either.
“You know, every keeper has his own style, I’ve never seen two identical. Each one has its own characteristics.
“But one thing is for sure: Pickford has to improve his footwork. I’ve seen him make a few mistakes. Sometimes his follow-through is rushed too, which leads to mistakes.”
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Pickford is undoubtedly Everton’s most consistent player over the past two seasons. Last season, his heroics in the goal saved Everton from getting relegated.
This season, the Toffees have been very strong at the back. The likes of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski have been superb, but Pickford has made fabulous saves when required.
In the past, Pickford was criticized for his lack of consistency. There were times when he made blunders, but we don’t see him making glaring mistakes these days.
He has improved tremendously as a goalkeeper and it doesn’t come as a surprise that he is the first choice for the country under Gareth Southgate.
Probably, Pickford’s performance doesn’t get noticed at the club level because the Toffees haven’t been good enough in recent times. The club have badly struggled and were close to getting relegated last season.
They are not in a great position either in the present campaign, but Pickford has been brilliant. Pickford has a contract at the club until 2024, and the club are looking to tie him down on a new deal.