David Moyes believes Jordan Pickford will rise to the challenge of having James Trafford competing for his England number one spot as he praised Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s impact since coming to Everton from Chelsea.
Pickford, who has kept clean sheets in five out of his last six home matches against Chelsea including the crucial 1-0 victory on May 1, 2022, when his stop from Cesar Azpilicueta was named Premier League Save of the Season. However, after being undisputed first choice for the Three Lions for almost nine years since making his international debut in a goalless draw against Germany on November 10, 2017, the 32-year-old had to share the goalkeeping duties during the recent international break with him and Leeds United’s James Trafford getting a couple of games apiece.
Moyes: Competition brings the best out of Pickford
The former Sunderland man has now been capped 93 times for England and broke his country’s all-time World Cup appearance record when appearing for an 18th time in the tournament in the semi-final against Argentina.
And his Everton manager Moyes said: “I spoke to him when he came back because we sort of knew the plan would be that he would miss two games and then play the other two.
“I mentioned to him that when you are a manager you are always looking for competition because you want the competition to challenge and keep you good.
“When Jordan came back from the World Cup, it might be the best I have ever seen him. He was lean, he was sharp, his footwork was brilliant, he was fast across the goal and if you look at some of the saves he has made between now and then he has made a couple of brilliant, brilliant saves.
“I thought Jordan came back in probably the best shape that I have seen him. I talked to him about it, I said: ‘You know you have a bit of competition now with Trafford, how are you going to deal with it?’ and I don’t see Jordan falling away at the moment.
“I see Jordan keeping his pride because he wants clean sheets, he wants to keep the ball out of the net, and it is bit like everything else. Somewhere along the line there is a whippersnapper coming who tries to challenge you and put you under pressure, but I think if he really mattered to England Jordan would still be the one who was there because he makes saves.
“He did that in the Argentina game. He has that experience and he is not ageing. I was thinking about Peter Shilton and Chris Woods and the level of goalkeeper England had over different periods, England had incredible goalkeepers and I am not saying they don’t have that now or didn’t have that, but there maybe hasn’t been that pool of goalkeepers which they once had and Jordan has found himself being the number one for a long time.”
Moyes disputes Trafford’s footwork claims
Moyes also disputes claims that Trafford, 24, is better with his feet. He said: “Jordan is a terrific kicker of the ball, he is a better kicker than Trafford, but passing is a different equation.
“I think one of the first passes in England’s game against the Czech Republic, Jordan played a long ball and put Morgan Rogers through. So, he has got that.
“But when you talk about that, is goalkeeping now just the passing? Or are you saying you still have to put your gloves on and make good saves and make good decisions. I think it would be hard to move Jordan off that role. He has been very good there.
“I don’t think Jordan is moving aside at the moment. If he continues the way he performed when he first came back, he was razor sharp for three or four weeks, then that is probably the best I had seen Jordan.”
Dewsbury-Hall impresses since Chelsea move
Moyes also likes what he’s seen from Dewsbury-Hall who joined Everton from Chelsea for £25million in August last year, quitting Stamford Bridge after just one season rather than coasting in west London. He said: “There’s a group who are just under the England international squad but I think since Kiernan came in he’s not needed time to settle in, which we have needed with other ones, and he’s hit the ground running.
“We need that type of player and we’ve tried to find them when we can. Kiernan was in a good place, he’d played some European games for Chelsea but maybe not enough league football, and he’d also had big experience at Leicester as well.
“He came to us in a good place and I’m really pleased with how he’s done, he’s been as good as anybody. He’s had ups and downs, but they all do at some times.
“It is refreshing (that he decided to come to Everton). Probably in the last year or so, trying to attract players has been difficult because we didn’t have European football and because of the situation we’ve now come out of.
“We are more attractive now because we have a shiny new stadium and our team, for most of last season, were mainly in the top 10. I hope we have become more attractive for players to come and join us.
“We’ve obviously got some issues now [over the ownership] and I’m hoping that doesn’t affect us because we want to attract players of that ilk.
“Even some of the ones we’ve got now, we want to add to it. They all want to see what the club behind is going to do as well to make it appealing to them.”
