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Jordan Pickford is currently preparing for his fifth tournament as England’s no.1.
Only his skipper, Harry Kane, has more Three Lions appearances at major competitions than the Everton stopper, who has been a fixture at the back since England’s World Cup 2018 tilt.
His run in goal began in Russia that summer against Tunisia in what was his first competitive England appearance and since then, he has become a central figure in the Three Lions’ modern resurgence.
Pickford on his World Cup debut - and what happened next
“I’ve always demanded a lot of myself, to improve and be the best,” Pickford tells FourFourTwo as he reflects on the journey since that game against Tunisia.
“This is my third World Cup and I want to win it – I think we have a good opportunity – and then keep going. I put a lot of hard work in and I just want to keep proving I’m the best.
“I don’t usually get nervous, but that Tunisia game was one of the rare occasions where I felt it,” he admits.
“What an experience that was, though – what a feeling to walk out to play your first ever World Cup game.
“It’s now up to me to pass on everything I learned in those moments to the guys experiencing it for the first time.”
Part of Pickford’s legacy will be helping to create the psychological shift for England in penalty shootouts, starting with that save from Carlos Bacca in the last-16 tie against Colombia in 2018.
“That was a huge moment for me, but also for us as a team,” the 32-year-old continues. “We all felt there was a shift around the country from that point onwards, that we’d moved on from being the underachievers to a nation that genuinely believed.
“That win was the result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes, both as an individual and as a team.
“I’ll never forget it, not just the part I played, but the guys who took the penalties too.
“It was a massive moment under Gareth Southgate, and a massive moment for England.”
