Jordon Pickford ready to take penalty for England at FIFA World Cup, says 'I'll step up'
Florida, June 4
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has said he would have no hesitation in stepping up to take a penalty for the Three Lions if required during the FIFA World Cup, backing himself to deliver in high-pressure situations.
Pickford, who is currently with the England squad in Florida ahead of warm-up fixtures against New Zealand and Costa Rica, revealed that he has been working on his penalty-taking alongside his regular goalkeeping duties as the team prepares for the tournament in the United States.
Asked whether he would be willing to take a penalty for England at the World Cup, the Everton goalkeeper responded confidently, saying, "Yes. I'd back myself 100 per cent. I'll put the practice in and execute it," as per goal.com.
The 32-year-old has built a reputation as one of England's key figures in penalty shootouts, having produced decisive saves during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020 and UEFA Euro 2024 campaigns.
He also converted a penalty in England's shootout victory over Switzerland in the 2019 UEFA Nations League finals.
While stressing that his primary responsibility remains stopping penalties rather than taking them, Pickford said he would be ready if the situation demanded.
"I want to focus on the savings as well," he said. "So there is a balance. If called upon, I play for England, I represent the country, so I'll step up and take it when needed. I'm keeping that work close to my chest. We'll probably start implementing that a little bit, soon," he added.
Pickford's ability from the penalty spot has previously been acknowledged by former England manager Gareth Southgate, who praised the goalkeeper following his successful spot-kick against Switzerland in 2019.
"With the players that were left on the pitch, he was one of the leading penalty takers, and he executed it as well as he could," Southgate had said.
"We weren't against Jordan taking a penalty at the World Cup in Russia. A few others had probably shown a better level, but he would be among our better penalty takers. You feel more nervous putting a goalkeeper on a penalty, but he was there on merit," he added.
England arrived in the United States earlier this week for the final phase of preparations ahead of the World Cup. The upcoming friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica are expected to help the squad fine-tune their plans before the start of the tournament.
The Three Lions will begin their Group L campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17 before taking on Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Jordan Pickford is an absolute legend. That penalty vs Switzerland in 2019 was clinic-quality. I get that goalkeepers taking penalties is risky, but when you've got someone who's cool under pressure like he is, why not? England's shootout record has improved massively since he came in. Quality player, quality mindset.
As an Indian who follows football closely, I have mixed feelings. Pickford is undoubtedly talented, but goalkeepers taking penalties is a double-edged sword. Sure, it worked in 2019, but what if he misses in a World Cup knockout? The psychological blow could be massive. England should stick to outfield players for spot-kicks and let Pickford focus on what he does best - stopping them. 🙏
Wait, England are in Group L? With Croatia, Ghana and Panama? That's a manageable group but Croatia will be tricky. Modric still pulling strings at 40? 😅 Pickford's confidence is good but I hope he doesn't get too carried away. The primary job is keeping the ball out, not putting it in. Sometimes these goalkeepers forget their main role!
Love the confidence! But I have to respectfully disagree with Southgate's approach here. We've seen what happens when keepers take penalties - it's a huge gamble. Pickford should be practicing saving penalties, not taking them. England's penalty history is already traumatic enough for fans! Just focus on stopping them, Jordan, and leave the scoring to the strikers. 🇮🇳⚽
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