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Kyle Walker shares verdict on Jordan Pickford as he retires from England

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Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been given a glowing review from Kyle Walker after he announced his England retirement.

The England number one is set to jet off in the summer and represent Everton as one of their players qualified for the World Cup.

Pickford’s spot between the sticks for the Three Lions has been cemented for years, and that does not look set to change any time soon.

Moyes’ current deal expires next year… 🤔

Everton manager David Moyes.

Neville Southall may have labelled Pickford as ‘average’, but Walker thinks he is anything but.

Andorra v England - European Qualifiers Group K - FIFA World Cup 2026
Photo by Eric Alonso – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

What Kyle Walker had to say about Everton’s Jordan Pickford

In years gone by, Walker has admitted Pickford is a bit of a ‘lunatic’ between the sticks; a trait that a lot of goalkeepers share.

Now that the right-back has hung up his boots from international football, Walker shared his admiration for Pickford whilst speaking on The Overlap.

Should Jordan Pickford now be considered one of the world’s best goalkeepers? 🤔

Gary Lineker is adamant he should 👀

A custom image showing a quote from Gary Lineker about Jordan Pickford.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images, and Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images

“But even Pickers like, you know he’s going to save two. You know he’s going to save one or two,” said Walker.

“So you score your penalties, you win the shootout. It’s not really going six, seven, eight, nine, ten, because we’ve got a very good goalkeeper in the net that’s very good at penalties.”

Everton previously showed an interest in signing Walker, but it is apparent his best days are now behind him as he retires from the Three Lions.

CompetitionAppearancesGoals ConcededClean SheetsMinutes Played
UEFA Nations League191691,770′
European Qualifiers151081,350′
UEFA Euro14871,380′
World Cup121241,140′
World Cup Qualification1129990′
International Friendlies1056855′
TOTAL8153437,485′

Pickford, however, is very much in his prime, with the 32-year-old having made some truly world-class saves over recent games.

Gary Lineker thinks Pickford deserves more credit than he currently gets having seen his incredible save against Newcastle United.

The Everton goalkeeper’s importance to the England side is probably not quite appreciated by many, but that will not deter the former Sunderland shot stopper.