Jordan Pickford shares what Gareth Southgate did in England dressing room after beating Italy

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Everton star Jordan Pickford has been England’s first-choice goalkeeper for years, and he is set to start at the Euros this summer after helping his side qualify yesterday.

England came from behind to beat Italy at Wembley to secure their spot in Germany, and Pickford was impressive in goal again as he made three saves and completed 10 long passes.

The 29-year-old Everton star has now shared what England manager Gareth Southgate told his players in the dressing room after the victory.

Pickford reveals Southgate talk

Speaking to reporters after the game, Pickford revealed that Southgate made an effort to recap the process of recovery following a brutal elimination from the World Cup last year, and praised his players for the way they secured qualification for next summer’s tournament.

“Yeah I think it was like a recap on what we’ve done as a group. I spoke earlier about from the France defeat in the quarters, and to reset and go and win at Naples and create a bit of history in a tough group,” he stated.

“Ukraine are a proud nation, a tough nation, and Italy, they’re never going to back down, then North Macedonia at home, we know what type of game that is and but we’ve just got to put focus on ourselves to win games and be in the right mentality.”

Pickford’s mentality

Pickford’s strong character makes him a leader at the back, and he has been Southgate’s preferred pick regardless of his club form.

His mentality is often crucial for both Everton and England, and he has the ability to dig his side out of tough situations when the pressure is on.

Everton will now be hoping that his success with England will give Pickford a boost heading into Saturday’s Merseyside Derby, with Pickford expected to receive a hostile reception at Anfield as he is often the pantomime villain in these games.

Liverpool may even target Pickford as someone to provoke during the game, but his experience over the years should hopefully mean he keeps a cool head in what will be a difficult game.