Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, Chris Sutton has been speaking about the England goalkeeping situation.
Gareth Southgate has a real selection headache between the sticks. England have a number of very talented goalkeepers, but it’s fair to say that none of them are truly world-class at this point.
Jordan Pickford has been the Three Lions’ long-term number one, and he’s done a stellar job.
However, according to Sutton, Aaron Ramsdale could challenge Jordan Pickford for the number one shirt as the pundit states he’s been far better than the Everton goalkeeper this season.
What’s been said?
Sutton gave his view on Pickford and Ramsdale.
“I know he likes Jordan Pickford, he loves Jordan Pickford, but there’s a strong argument to make that Aaron Ramsdale has been a far better goalkeeper for Arsenal this season than Pickford has at Everton. I do think Raheem Sterling will start, but there are places up for grabs,” Sutton said.
Does it matter?
Ramsdale has undoubtedly been better than Pickford at club level, but the real question is, does that matter?
Some players just perform better at international level. Was Miroslav Klose genuinely the best German number nine heading into the 2014 World Cup after scoring just seven Serie A goals with Lazio that season? Of course he wasn’t, but he’s proven time and again that he turns up in the big moments, and he did so in Brazil that year.
Pickford is in that mould. He would have been the hero of Euro 2020 if Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford had buried their penalties, and he was the hero of Russia 2018 as he helped England to their first-ever World Cup penalty shootout victory.
Pickford may not be the best English goalkeeper in the Premier League, but if he keeps turning up for Southgate, it’s hard to make a case for dropping him.
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