In the summer of 2017, Everton took the transfer window by storm. A lot of money was spent on signing some big names and things looked good under the leadership of Ronald Koeman. But the season never took off for the Toffees and Koeman was sacked before Christmas.
Sam Allardyce came in and steadied the ship as Everton finished the season in the top ten. But even in such a gloomy season, a certain Jordan Pickford stood tall. And the news of Pickford signing a new contract should be music to the ears of Evertonians (h/t Sky Sports).
Pickford arrived at Everton last year after the club agreed on a fee of £30million with Sunderland. He featured in all 38 games in the Premier League and made 121 saves. Along with these, he made 22 punches, took 11 catches and successfully claimed 17 high balls into the box.
As a result, Gareth Southgate handed Pickford the No.1 jersey for England at the World Cup. Pickford grasped this opportunity with both hands and came off age in Russia. He didn’t have much to do in the group stages but his heroics in the Round of 16 against Colombia, notably in the penalty shootout, turned him into a star for the Three Lions. He made a total of 16 saves for his country in the tournament.
Pickford is still a young player and has a lot to learn. He made 2 errors last season which directly lead to a goal and, at times, he is erroneous with his passing too. But at Goodison, he is at a great place to learn the trade and become a top goalkeeper.
In Pickford, Everton have a youngster with not only great potential but also with great character. He has risen through the football leagues in England and his spells in the League Two, the League One and the Championship have made him stronger, both mentally and physically.
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Now, he must keep his head down, work hard and continue giving his best for the Toffees.
