Is it time to give record-breaker Pickford the credit he deserves?

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford enters the history books when he faces Norway in the World Cup quarter-final in Miami.

The 32-year-old Everton keeper will become England’s most capped player in the tournament when he makes his 18th World Cup appearance, eclipsing the previous record held by Peter Shilton.

Following his magnificent individual display in England’s 3-2 victory in the last 16 against Mexico in the Azteca, it is another sign of how Pickford has maintained unrivalled status as first choice before his 90th international appearance in his fifth major tournament.

Pickford’s record is outstanding for both club and country so, after his performance in Mexico City, is it time the Wearsider finally received the recognition his record deserves?

Has Pickford been under-appreciated?

Pickford has been a model of consistency for Everton and England, as proved by his Premier League statistics.

In the last two league seasons, Pickford’s clean sheet record of 23 in the last two seasons is second only to David Raya, the keeper with Premier League champions Arsenal, who has 32.

In his 89 England games, he has conceded 59 goals and kept 44 clean sheets while making, as measured by Opta statistics, only two errors that have led to goals.

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson is one who believes Pickford’s contribution has been undervalued.

He told BBC Sport: “I think he has been under-appreciated for Everton and England when you look at the numbers he’s posting, the games he is playing and the number of clean sheets he has.

“He is only second behind David Raya in the last two seasons for clean sheets and they are playing for very different teams.

“With England, you look at his experience, the way he has gone deep into tournaments. I always talk about competitive caps, but he has lots of tournament caps, which is so important.”

England head coach Thomas Tuchel congratulates Jordan Pickford after the win against Mexico. [Getty Images]

Robinson added: “I think he’s matured as a person and a professional. I think he’s worked on himself. He’s an excellent shot-stopper, his distribution is second to none.

“He’s worked on his distribution. You can see his long distribution is superb, which England used as a weapon in Mexico – it led to one of the goals. I also think he’s worked on his short distribution as well and I think he’s evolved as a goalkeeper and a person. I really like what I see.”

Pickford, who made his England debut against Germany at Wembley in November 2017, has also made 14 appearances at the European Championships, where they have lost in the past two finals.

Pickford has seen off all challengers

Pickford has been England’s first choice tournament keeper since the 2018 World Cup, where they lost in the semi-final to Croatia in Moscow.

All challengers have been seen off to such an extent that Robinson says: “I think he’s the first name on the team sheet. There is nobody else.

“As a nation, we have again gone into a major tournament with a keeper who has racked up the caps, while others beneath him have only got a handful.

“I checked the stats before this tournament, and out of the five goalkeepers who could have been picked alongside Jordan Pickford, they had 11 competitive games between them.”

When Thomas Tuchel was appointed England coach, there was a school of thought that he was unconvinced by Pickford but, as with predecessor Sir Gareth Southgate, he has been his undisputed number one.

Pickford will eclipse Peter Shilton’s England record of 17 World Cup appearances when he plays against Norway in the quarter-final in Miami. [Getty Images]

Pickford will eclipse Peter Shilton's England record of 17 World Cup appearances when he plays against Norway in the quarter-final in Miami. — Pickford will eclipse Peter Shilton’s England record of 17 World Cup appearances when he plays against Norway in the quarter-final in Miami. [Getty Images]

Robinson added: “There will always be an opinion, whether it was Peter Shilton, David Seaman, David James or myself when I was England’s keeper.

“Somebody has always got an opinion. You are there to be shot at. If it’s not you in goal, everyone’s got an opinion as to who they think it should be. I think the biggest credit you can give Jordan Pickford is that that noise isn’t there. He’s been that good.

“There’s nobody saying it shouldn’t be him. The noise hasn’t been there for a very long time because he is that well embedded. He’s made the position his own and, including keepers like myself and David James, the talk around the position hasn’t been this quiet since David Seaman was there. It’s taken as read that Jordan Pickford plays.”

Mexico masterclass can inspire England

Pickford revelled in the pressure of the Azteca after Jarell Quansah was sent off against Mexico. [Getty Images]

Pickford made an uncertain start to the World Cup, at fault when he was beaten at his near post when DR Congo took the lead against England in Atlanta before captain Harry Kane’s two late goals saw them through.

In the pressure cooker of the Azteca, however, Pickford had his finest game for England, with two brilliant first-half saves from Mexico striker Raul Jimenez, followed by an outstanding display of penalty-area command in a frantic second period.

“It was a very brave display of goalkeeping,” said Robinson. “I really admired what he did out there in that second half and his two saves in the first half kept England in the game. They could have been out of it by half-time if it wasn’t for him.”

Pickford won widespread praise for the way he took charge of his penalty area, taking the initiative by coming for crosses and corners on a regular basis as England, down to 10 men after Jarell Quansah was sent off early in the second half, came under siege.

“He decided that he was going to stand up. He came for crosses, made decisions to go for balls, making life easier for his defenders because of how good he was.

“The easiest thing as a goalkeeper is to stay on your line because you don’t get criticised. If you stay on your line you can’t make a mistake, but he showed maturity and bravery.

“He showed the way his game has developed by coming off his line, making those decisions, making big bold calls. That’s where you see how much he has evolved.

“Jordan took it upon himself, punched the ball, caught the ball, made life easier for his defenders.

“He doesn’t mind what players are in front of him. It doesn’t faze him. He’s played with a different back four for most games, with the full-backs alternating and a change in central defence.

“The players know him and trust him. I think there is a good relationship there.”

And Pickford’s Mexico masterclass can bolster England’s confidence as they try to overcome the dangerous Norwegians and master striker Erling Haaland, who demonstrated their threat by beating Brazil 2-0 in the last 16.

“I think Jordan Pickford’s confidence will be at an all-time high and the team’s will be as well after their win against Mexico,” added Robinson.

“I questioned them on air when Thomas Tuchel went to a back five after 71 minutes. I was thinking I wasn’t sure they would hang on, and that would have been a stick he would have been beaten with.

“It did go right and Jordan Pickford was a big part of it going right.”

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