Jordan Pickford is Everton’s current Premier League shot-stopper but can he ever be as good as Toffees legend Nigel Martyn?
Everton have been blessed with some fine goalkeepers in their history from Neville Southall to Tim Howard. And although Nigel Martyn played just three seasons at Goodison Park between 2003 and 2006, the former England international still managed to secure legendary status on Merseyside.
Even in the autumn of his career and in his late 30s, he remained one of the very best goalkeepers around and his then manager David Moyes would later admit to FourFourTwo that the Martyn was his ‘greatest ever signing’.
Jordan Pickford, then, has a long way to go before he can be considered a true successor to Martyn. A £30 million signing from Sunderland in 2016, the England number one has impressed at Goodison Park but mistakes still remain in his game.
It was Pickford’s misplaced pass that led to West Ham’s second goal in Everton’s 3-1 home defeat on Sunday.
But Martyn believes that Pickford is still a far more confident player than he was at the same age.
“I think that (the enthusiasm to be busy) happens when you’re young. I remember in my younger days almost willing the opposition to have an attack so you can show what you can do and you have that confidence,” Martyn told Everton’s official website.
“(Pickford) does have that confidence but he exudes that confidence to his team-mates as well.
“I wasn’t as vocal as that at 24. He’s got that confidence straight away and he’s got that confidence straight away. It’s all good.”
Pickford is still at the beginning of his footballing journey and, despite the odd mistake, the future looks to be in safe hands for both Everton and England.
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