talkSPORT pundit Martin Keown hails Jordan Pickford news, Jim White thinks Everton owner Farhad Moshiri spent big
Jordan Pickford’s new Everton contract is “fantastic news” and shows commitment to the club at difficult moment, according to Martin Keown.
The Toffees keeper announced that he has signed a new four-and-a-half year contract to remain at Goodison Park until the summer of 2027, and talkSPORT host Jim White believes owner Farhad Moshiri will have had to spend big to get it done.
Former Everton defender Keown, in stark contrast to colleague Alex Crook’s criticism of the agreement a day earlier, has backed the stand-in skipper for showing he is a “club man”, although acknowledged relegation will still likely result in a big-money sale.
Reacting live on talkSPORT to audio of Pickford’s deadpan announcement (24 February, 10.34am) White laughed: “He didn’t exactly sound overwhelmed by it. Jordan Pickford announcing to the world that he’s staying at Everton for a long period of time, four and a half years.
“That’s quite a deal isn’t it? Moshiri will have had to fork out a lot of money for that one.”
“Yeah but the players who have done well need to be rewarded and he’s one of them,” replied Keown.
Continuing along the lines of Crook’s criticism a day earlier White asked: “What’s he showing here? Is it loyalty? Or is he unambitious? He could be playing Championship football next season.”
Keown responded: “No I think he’s a club man isn’t he? He wants to show they’re in a difficult moment and he’s committing to the club, for whatever comes forward.
“We’re hearing there’s no clauses that he can leave. One assumes though if they went down they’d be getting big money for him, so the club’s obviously looking to protect that.
“But nonetheless, he doesn’t have to sign. He wants to settle everyone down and make a commitment, I think that’s fantastic news.”
Backing
Perhaps it takes a pundit with a connection to the club to see the move for what it is and support Pickford’s decision.
It will all be moot if Sean Dyche can’t keep the Toffees in the Premier League, and it can never be ruled out that Moshiri accepts a big bid from one of the often-linked top flight clubs looking for a keeper in the near future.
But at this point, with the season at a critical stage but tentatively moving in the right direction under the new manager, this is a definite boost to Dyche and the rest of the squad.
Amadou Onana’s admirable loyalty aside, it wouldn’t have been hard to detect a scramble to avoid Everton during January, as Anthony Gordon left for Newcastle, Arnaut Danjuma abandoned a loan move and went to Tottenham, and numerous transfer targets went elsewhere.
But one of the leaders of the team, and the one who arguably carries the greatest international profile, has taken the step to make clear he doesn’t see the club as a lost cause.
Moshiri is no stranger to handing out hefty deals to players that don’t necessarily justify them, but in the overall scheme of things, if anyone in the squad has earned it more often than not Pickford is a worthy recipient.