Former Everton striker Kevin Campbell has praised goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for pulling the club 'out of the fire' in recent weeks as the Toffees look to stay in the Premier League.
Prior to Thursday night's home fixture against Crystal Palace, Everton find themselves two points above 18th-place Burnley and one point above Leeds United. Both the Blues and Burnley have played a game less than Leeds heading into the final fixture this weekend.
Three points against Palace would ensure Premier League survival for another season and key wins over the past few weeks have played a massive part in getting Frank Lampard's side out of the relegation zone. Beating Manchester United 1-0 at the start of April and then drawing against Leicester City a week later gave Everton some momentum heading into the final few games of the season.
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A derby defeat to Liverpool was soon forgotten when Lampard beat his former side Chelsea 1-0 and followed that up with a 2-1 victory over the Foxes. Both games saw Pickford pull off some crucial saves which helped his side pick up crucial wins. A player that has come into unfair criticism from the media this season, Campbell pointed out that England's number one doesn't get praised as quickly as he gets criticised, before adding he still has room to improve.
“People sometimes aren’t as quick to praise him as they are to criticise him," Campbell told Goodison News. “And he’s still such a young goalkeeper. He is nowhere near his prime yet, nowhere near. And Everton really needed him in the last couple games. They key is when your goalkeeper turns up, that’s important.
“When you’re down there and you’re scrapping sometimes you need your goalkeeper to pull you out of the fire, and I think he’s pulled Everton out of the fire in the last couple of games. Everton have done well at the top end of the pitch but defensively…
“When the defence has been breeched he’s been there. He really has been there when it’s mattered. He’s been outstanding.”
Everton will be hoping they won't need to rely on Pickford against Palace at Goodison Park on Thursday night, before making the trip to north London on Sunday to face Arsenal in the final game of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
