Teddy Sheringham has paid tribute to an ‘unbelievable’ Jordan Pickford performance, telling talkSPORT (12 July, 9:00am) that the England goalkeeper did not deserve to be on the losing side during Sunday’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is incredible to think anyone doubted him.
Emulating his heroics at the 2018 World Cup, Everton’s number one again put his rather indifferent club form to one side while shining on the biggest of stages.
Pickford denied Andrea Belotti and even the ice-cool Jorginho during a tense penalty shoot-out, but even that was not enough as England’s spot-kick curse returned with a vengeance at a heartbroken Wembley.
And Sheringham believes that Pickford’s brilliance should not be forgotten after England succumbed to the most glorious of failures.
Was Jordan Pickford England’s best player at Euro 2020?
“I was watching it with my family (when Jorginho walked up to take his penalty) and I said ‘oh no, he’s so cool’,” said the former Manchester United and Tottenham star.
“But (Pickford) outwitted him. It was perfect. What a fantastic save. He deserved to be on the winning side last night. He was unbelievable.
“The positivity from a goalkeeper is massive. If he looks upbeat and says ‘no one’s getting past me’ then you’ve got a chance. He was so positive, even going into that final penalty against Jorginho.
“He felt he was going to save it and he did. Not quite enough though.”
With the new Premier League season now just a few weeks away, Everton fans will be hoping that Pickford will rise from the ashes of devastation and take some heart from a superb tournament; a month in which he stood tall, side by side with some of the finest goalkeepers on the planet.
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