He can thank his long-time mentor Mark Prudhoe, Sunderland’s experienced goalkeeping coach, for his coming-of-age trips to Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton, Carlisle, Bradford and Preston North End. In fact at Preston he impressed former Liverpool and England keeper Chris Kirkland so much Pickford almost ended up at Anfield. Kirkland said: “I told some of the Liverpool staff that Jordan was the best young keeper I had worked with. “In my eyes Jordan is the best keeper this country has got,” he enthused. It gives everyone security.”Something both England manager Gareth Southgate and Pickford’s long-term confidante Prudhoe agree on.
Source: Daily Mirror July 10, 2021 21:22 UTC