Chris Sutton wants Stoke City’s Jack Butland as England’s number one goalkeeper at the 2018 World Cup, not Everton’s Jordan Pickford.
The former Chelsea and Celtic striker believes that the first-choice goalkeeper for England at the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia in the summer of 2018 should be Stoke City’s Jack Butland.
Although Sutton has praised the confidence of Pickford, the Englishman believes that the opponents will look to expose the former Sunderland goalkeeper’s lack of height.
Sutton told The Daily Mail: “Jordan Pickford’s confidence is exciting but I worry about when the ball is whipped in from a set-piece or corner.
“At 6ft 1in, is he commanding enough to handle it? A lack of height is not his fault, of course, but opponents could look to expose that.”
“For me, the job should go to Butland,” added Sutton. “What I like in a goalkeeper is presence and calmness, and the 25-year-old has those qualities.
“People might point to the goals he has conceded at Stoke this season but you could pick out weaknesses in all of the goalkeepers. Personally, I see Butland as the safest bet.”
Quality goalkeeper
With Joe Hart losing his form this season, it is clear that the Manchester City-owned West Ham United goalkeeper should not be the first-choice goalkeeper at England.
Butland is a good goalkeeper, but the 25-year-old has not been exactly in great form, with his club Stoke City conceding a lot of goals and are in danger of getting relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.
Pickford, who earns £60,000 per week as salary according to Spotrac.com, has made errors this season, but the Everton goalkeeper is playing well at the moment and looks very confident.
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