Richard Keys has just admitted that £125k-a-week Everton player drives him mad

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Everton are soon set to enjoy a pre-season with all of their players back at Finch Farm, following the conclusion of Euro 2024.

The summer of sport is one which every fan can get on board with, but for football clubs, all this does is delay and add barriers to their progress.

After all, it is hard to negotiate any transfers whilst players are away with their countries, and should they enjoy a half-decent tournament, their price will inexplicably skyrocket no matter how long they had previously been tracked for.

However, there are some benefits, and having a player thrive there can in turn allow the lesser clubs to command more of a premium.

There has been no such success with Amadou Onana’s sale to Aston Villa, with the £50m fee being touted hardly ground-breaking.

And yet, despite enjoying a fine tournament, another Everton asset is inexplicably being lambasted by one pundit.

Richard Keys fumes over Everton player’s antics

Richard Keys is a polarising name in football, and his opinions can often come across as quite sensational and unresearched.

Especially when those claims are put aside Andy Gray’s, with the steely Scotsman often the voice of reason within their partnership.

However, on his occasion, the former Everton striker was not on hand to offer a counterbalance to such claims, as Keys took to his blog on this occasion to comb over the performance of the England national team in Germany.

Seeking to praise some and criticise others, he landed on Jordan Pickford, and could not offer the former without in turn dishing out the latter soon after.

Completely unfounded and without any justification, Keys simply wrote: ‘The guys at the back did ok – until the final. Guehi was the best of them. And the keeper was better than I expected him to be, although his antics drive me mad.’

Jordan Pickford’s Everton behaviour means nothing

Over the seven years that he has been with Everton, thrust into the Premier League limelight, people have sought to lambast Pickford’s behaviour.

And, at one point, it was arguably justified.

For a period, the £125k-a-week star was far from secure at the back, often prone to erratic moments of madness which cost his team. He has always been a sensational shot-stopper, but fears over his reliability were fair.

However, having truly eradicated those mistakes, turning into a laser-focused asset who still is bursting with personality, it is a wonder how anyone can criticise a man who has been so flawless for both club and country for so long now.

Without him, Everton would certainly have been relegated, and England would definitely not have been as successful as they have been.

The country should worship Pickford, yet he is still burdened by these archaic views on him. Keys’ claims will only further that clueless stereotype.