Jordan Pickford is practising penalties as well as saving them in training.
The England goalkeeper is leaving no stone unturned, should his side find themselves in a dreaded shootout in the knockout stages. And Pickford admits he wouldn’t hesitate to take a spot kick in the Euro 2024 quarter final against Switzerland if boss Gareth Southgate asks him to.
The Everton ace took and scored one against the same opponents in a thrilling 6-5 shoot out win in the Nations League in 2019. Pickford admitted he was surprised to be nominated back then.
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo crying shows Portugal problem for Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes
READ MORE: John Terry blasts BBC for ‘disgraceful’ Cristiano Ronaldo caption after penalty tears
But fast forward to 2024 and Pickford is almost relishing being called upon again if the clash with the Swiss ends in a stalemate. Pickford said: “I’d step up. I’m not the manager, but I’d be prepared if it come to that.
“Everyone has got to practise them, because anybody could be on the pitch at any given time. The history of winning major tournaments shows that you’ve got to go into extra time sometimes and maybe win a penalty shoot out.
Would you back England to win a penalty shootout at Euro 2024? Let us know in the comments section below
(Image: GETTY)
Learn more
“You’ve got to learn from those experiences and take them into other tournaments. It was a good feeling back then when I scored.”
Pickford also helped England beat Colombia 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at the 2018 World Cup, saving from Carlos Bacca to claim the Three Lions’ first World Cup penalty shoot-out victory and a place in the quarter-final.
When he scored and then saved the decisive penalty as England beat Switzerland to finish third at the inaugural Nations League Finals, he became the first goalkeeper to take and score a penalty in a competitive shoot-out for England.