Pickford could be given an extended run in the Sunderland goal following an injury to Vito Mannone.
Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford
Sunderland manager David Moyes has given his backing to Jordan Pickford to perform well in the absence of Vito Mannone in the Black Cats goal.
Mannone picked up an elbow injury in training meaning Pickford could be given an extended run in the side in the coming weeks, depending on the severity of the problem sustained by the Italian.
Pickford made a total of three appearances for the club last season on the back of a loan spell at Preston North End and seems to be highly thought of at the club.
Sunderland manager David Moyes
Moyes is quoted in the Sunderland Echo, saying: “Jordan is capable – it was very tight between the two goalkeepers anyway. It is close.
“I told Jordan, ‘Vito will start and he has to push him hard to get it off him and Vito would have to play well to make sure, because he knows you are behind him’.
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“I watched Jordan a few times [at Preston] and there was a lot of talk about the goalkeeper. He catches your eye because he is a great kicker of the ball. He is also a good all-round goalkeeper but young and it isn’t always that easy to play young goalkeepers.”
It certainly presents a huge opportunity to the 22-year-old to establish himself potentially as the club’s number one goalkeeper if things are really as close as Moyes indicated in terms of his standing at the club compared to Mannone. A decent run of games is a better reflection of whether he has the ability to be the club’s regular goalkeeper rather than the odd good cup performance.
They face Shrewsbury Town tonight the EFL Cup but a tricky run of games in the Premier League could follow against Southampton, Everton and Tottenham in the coming weeks.
Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford
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