David Moyes treating the Carabao Cup with indignant seriousness at least gives Jordan Pickford the chance of winning something. Right now, Pickford must be the best football player never to win a team trophy of any note.
Not only is he without silverware, the England No.1 does not get to test himself on club football's European stages. His experience in that sphere amounts to three Europa League games - one against Limassol and two against Lyon - in 2017.
Champions League Prospects Slim
In a Premier League where the standard is much of a muchness, there is a chance Everton will compete in the top half this season, but the prospect of the club playing in the Champions League next season is a slim one. Pickford turns 33 next March and has several years left at elite level. But there is clearly a chance he will not get to perform in the Champions League.
Considering he will almost certainly win 100 England caps, that will be quite the anomaly. And another anomaly is that Pickford seems to remain relatively uninvolved in transfer window shenanigans.
Happy at Everton
First things first, he is clearly very happy at Everton, and has been for the past nine years. The contract he signed 11 months ago means he will be very well remunerated until 2029. He plays his home football in a fantastic stadium in front of 50-odd thousand fans. He is at a great club.
But he is hugely under-acclaimed. Not by Evertonians, obviously. He has been the club's Player of the Season four times - and it's a bit of a travesty that is only four. But he rarely gets the kudos afforded to the likes of David Raya, Alisson and even error-prone operators such as Gianluigi Donnarumma and Emi Martinez.
Under-Acclaimed Despite Quality
Often, praise for his 91-cap England career seems almost grudging, his permanence in the team frequently attributed to a lack of competition. Yet the facts of the matter are that Pickford rarely makes mistakes, has solid distribution and has good command of the penalty area. He is one of the best in his business and has been for some considerable time. Which makes the apparent lack of powerhouse interest mystifying.
Chelsea's need for a high-class keeper has been clear for some time, yet to all knowledge, they have not tried to prise Pickford away from Everton. Chelsea do not have European football right now but probably have a better chance of securing it in the near future than Everton do. And financially, they could offer a hugely tempting contract.
Over recent seasons, more than one of what might be considered the Premier League's marquee clubs have been in the market for a new keeper but Pickford has never seemed to be a serious option. Frankly, it is odd. But it has, of course, been to Everton's benefit. This latest transfer window is closing soon and Pickford will remain an Evertonian. And with his form only becoming more impressive, that elusive trophy might yet materialise.
