Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been praised by former Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca, even though he thinks Gianluigi Donnarumma is a better player than him.
Pickford is now back at Everton after England’s run to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar, when they were knocked out by France.
He has come out of the tournament relatively unscathed, with many praising his performances for the Three Lions despite their failure to get beyond the holders and eventual finalists.
The Everton number one has firmly established himself as England’s number one over the last few years, with a series of impressive performances, particularly in tournaments, earning him that status.
He was a key player at both the World Cup in 2018 and the Euros last summer and has often carried that form through to club level with the Toffees.
He was particularly influential in their fight against relegation last season, putting in several memorable performances between January and the end of the season.
Despite this, there are still questions about his ability, which were again raised during this World Cup and particularly his failure to keep out Aurélien Tchouaméni’s opener in that quarter-final defeat.
The common belief is that the Everton man still has mistakes in him, something Pagliuca agrees with despite praising him.
“I like him as a goalkeeper, he has real ability,” he told Walfoot.
“Last season, he saved Everton with a number of saves. But maybe he lacks consistency…even if we mustn’t forget that he plays for Everton, a club that is playing in the drop zone. That doesn’t help either…
“You know, every keeper has his own style, I’ve never seen two identical. Each one has its own characteristics.
“But one thing is for sure: Pickford has to improve his footwork. I’ve seen him make a few mistakes. Sometimes his follow-through is rushed too, which leads to mistakes. I still think Donnarumma is stronger.”
