Jordan Pickford, the Everton and England goalkeeper, could help his country reach their first World Cup final in 60 years on Wednesday night against Argentina. But his former PE teacher, Jim Welch, has revealed that Pickford's early football career looked very different—he played in midfield and nearly got sent off in his last school game.
From Midfield to Goalkeeping Stardom
Pickford, now 32, was a student at St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in Washington, where Mr Welch taught physical education. Despite his current reputation as England's first-choice goalkeeper since his international debut in November 2017, Pickford was originally a midfielder. “I played him in midfield. You could get away with it in schoolboy football and put anyone in goal as he would have been wasted in goal and he wanted to play out as well,” Mr Welch told the ECHO ahead of Pickford's first return to Sunderland in November.
Pickford's powerful kicking ability was evident even then. “He could score from 30 yards out as he had a very powerful kick, even at that age,” Welch said, adding that Pickford's distribution—a hallmark of his goalkeeping—was already developing. “He can hit passes 50-60 yards to a player.”
A Wild Streak and a Near Red Card
Mr Welch laughed when asked about Pickford's reputation as a “wind-up merchant.” He revealed that Pickford's aggressive playing style almost got him in trouble in his final school match at age 16. “In his last game for me, the referee told me that I’d have to take him off otherwise he’d send him off. He still remembers that as I saw him a couple of months ago and we talked about it,” Welch said.
Since then, Pickford has matured significantly. “He’s definitely cut a lot of the mistakes out of his game and has matured,” Welch noted, pointing to a 2019 match at St James’ Park where Everton lost 3-2 after leading 2-0 as a turning point. “The Newcastle crowd were winding him up, but I think that proved a turning point for him and he learned a lot from that one.”
A Family Connection to Sunderland
Pickford remains deeply connected to his Sunderland roots. Mr Welch, a Sunderland fan himself, knows the Pickford family well. “His mother worked with me at the school as a secretary when I was a PE teacher and his grandmother was a secretary too. His grandfather worked at the school as a caretaker and odd job man while even his dad has helped us out with jobs at the school,” he said.
Pickford still visits friends in the area and remains loyal to his hometown club. “He wouldn’t touch Newcastle with a barge pole,” Welch joked.
A Record-Breaking Career
Pickford's career has soared since his £25 million move to Everton in 2017 under manager David Moyes. He signed an extension to stay at Hill Dickinson Stadium until 2029, and with 91 caps (19 in World Cup finals, an England record), he is poised to lead his country in the semi-final against Argentina. “Sticking with Everton has been a good thing for him. I think he loves that club as much as he loves Sunderland,” Welch said.
