“Hopefully, I will look back at the end of the season with a smile on my face and say that was a vital three points and a great save."
His stop from Cesar Azpilicueta was more than simply a ‘great save’ and, hopefully, Jordan Pickford can now appreciate its importance. As he scrambled across the goalmouth in front of the Park End his feet were working in overtime, but so was his brain as the ball fell into the path of the Chelsea defender.
“I have had to just readjust at that last second to make that save because I knew if I went that way - where you would have thought I might have went - I knew I would have been dead in the water really. I think it would have been a goal because it would have been quite hard to stop my momentum but I have used my footwork to change my momentum to make that save."
READ MORE: Jordan Pickford commits to Everton in major boost for Sean Dyche and Kevin Thelwell
READ MORE: Jordan Pickford makes Neville Southall pledge in first words after new Everton contract
The way he shifted his body weight against his momentum was extraordinary, contorting as he rightly predicted Azpilicueta would shoot back across him but maintaining the strength to push his drive away from goal. This remarkable moment was later credited as being the official save of the Premier League season. For then manager Frank Lampard, that was a title that fell short of its true status. During Everton’s pre-season tour of the US he told an audience in Washington DC: “This save is not save of the season, it’s save of the Premier League era.”
There have been so many moments like that for Pickford since his move to Goodison Park back in 2017. Even this season, reflex saves from Darwin Nunez in the home Merseyside derby and then from Willian in the goalless draw at Fulham provide two more clips for an exceptional highlight reel.
But THAT save against Chelsea will rank as one of the most important not just of his career, but of his club’s modern history. Everton, in the relegation zone with six games to play and facing the prospect of a catastrophic fall from the top flight, were inspired that day. After the first of the pyro-fuelled coach welcomes that would push Everton beyond their limitations, Goodison was a cauldron that Sunday afternoon in May. Richarlison’s goal just after half-time gave the home side the win that would bring Everton’s fate back into the club’s own hands as it moved within two points of safety with a game in hand on closest rivals Leeds United. It was a day that kickstarted the escape but had Pickford not performed magic - first from Azpilicueta and then from point blank from Antonio Rudiger - the club could have found itself adrift in the bottom three and facing the worst.
Instead it paved the way for survival, Pickford playing a crucial role in the next game, the win at Leicester City, and beyond. The Azpilicueta save was the crowning glory of a momentous season on a personal level for Pickford. Weeks earlier, Lampard had handed him the captain’s armband for the first time in his career at Turf Moor, though the Blues fell to defeat that night to now manager Sean Dyche’s Burnley. At Goodison on May 1, for the Chelsea game, Pickford walked onto the pitch to the sight of a giant banner unfurled on the Gwladys Street in his honour. That support, as well as the opportunity to captain the team, meant a great deal to him.
In the absence of Seamus Coleman at the start of the season, Pickford led Everton out once again. Handed a place on Lampard’s dressing room senior leadership team, it cemented his position as one of the most influential figures at Finch Farm and in the squad.
The recognition of his leadership qualities came as no surprise to Alan Kelly, the person who knows Pickford better than anyone else in football. Everton’s goalkeeping coach since Pickford’s arrival in 2017, Kelly’s connection with the England number one dates back several years earlier to when he worked at Preston North End. He watched the then 20-year-old concede six goals while playing for Carlisle United against Preston in League One, and even in those circumstances was struck by his potential. He told the ECHO: “It was just the way that he handled himself, the way he stood up to what occurred on the pitch. I thought yeah, that takes a bit of heart, it takes a bit of responsibility. And that's a thread I've seen right all the way through, him accepting responsibility and, with that, that allows him to perform.”
Sixteen months later Pickford signed on loan for Preston and in the short time before parent club Sunderland recalled him he matched the club’s record for consecutive clean sheets. Since Pickford joined Everton, Kelly has overseen his development to become England’s number one, a keeper who would play a leading role as his country reached the latter stages of major tournaments. Kelly always saw the talent, but behind the scenes he saw the emotional development too. He said being handed the captain’s armband was a source of immense pride for the player, and of “validation” of his influence and maturity.
That maturity is often questioned by critics, who point to Pickford’s elaborate gestures after big moments as signs of lost concentration. For Pickford - and those around him - the opposite is true. Speaking to the ECHO at Finch Farm last season, he explained: “I am calm. The tough thing for me is [that] the atmosphere is good in every game. It is very loud, home and away. I am trying to get messages onto my team-mates, so it looks like I am screaming but I am actually trying to help get a good message across to help the lads out. As a goalkeeper you can see the whole pitch, so I am actually trying to help my team-mates out. When it comes to my decision-making I am a lot calmer but the animation and shouting and balling, it is not crazy stuff I am saying... I am trying to give my team-mates information about what is going on in front of me."
Kelly agrees with this, but also has no problem even when he does bellow out in excitement after a particularly big save: “l don't see a problem in showing the emotional side because it means you are invested in the game. Some people might interpret it as exuberance. I don't have a problem with that. Ultimately, it comes down to whether you are doing your job and making the saves.”
The relationship between Kelly and Pickford is likely to have been one of the factors in his decision to extend his stay to 2027. The pair are close and have discussed more than just football, their talks extending to the jibes Pickford receives from sections of rival fanbases and the repeated questioning of his position as England number one despite a phenomenal track record with the national team. For Kelly, his resilience to this, whether it in the form of the fancy dress on display when he plays at Newcastle United or the chaos of social media, is the ultimate evidence of Pickford’s maturity: “You acquire status. So now he’s England’s number one, he’s Everton’s number one, he’s got different areas he has to fulfil. I think as a young lad he just wanted to play and seeing his development, and seeing how he handled it, as a young professional with Preston, and seeing what he's now had to deal with, with social media, and I don't think I've known anybody get as much stick as he does, just to deal with that in itself has showed you he's well rounded.”
Pickford’s decision to commit to Everton despite its recent, and ongoing struggles, is testament to the support he has had since moving to Merseyside. He has a box at Goodison and clearly loves what he is part of. Upon the announcement of the new contract, Pickford declared: “The support I’ve had from everyone at the club since I joined as a 22-year-old has been so important to my family and me. I’m happy here and so are my family. We love it at Everton.”
The agreement is also an emphatic endorsement of the work of director of football Kevin Thelwell, who oversees the club’s football operation and was pictured with him at his contract signing, and the new regime of Dyche. Pickford is perhaps more aware of the challenges facing Everton than most at the club. And yet he has chosen to extend his contract even as he is coveted elsewhere. Dyche, who spoke to Pickford ahead of the negotiations being finalised, welcomed the progress as he spoke at Finch Farm this week. Clearly understanding the significance of the decision made by one of his most important players, he said: "He made it very clear to me very early. I tried to speak to as many players as I could, and he made it very clear that he was happy here generally with his life and his football life. I tried to assure him that he would be given a very good platform here to play and develop and I think he’s bought into that. It’s a good sign for all."
READ NEXT
Steven Defour opens up on private Onana talks and busts myth over Sean Dyche
Everton and Leeds United hit with FA charge after Goodison Park 'mass confrontation'
Sean Coleman makes honest Everton admission and sends relegation plea to fans
Jordan Pickford close to signing new contract in huge boost for Everton
