England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will cement his place in the history books when he faces Norway in the World Cup quarter-final in Miami.
The 32-year-old Everton keeper will become England’s most capped player in tournament football, making his 18th World Cup appearance to eclipse the record previously held by Peter Shilton.
It marks another remarkable milestone in a career defined by consistency, resilience, and an unrivalled grip on the England number one jersey across five major tournaments.
Pickford’s performance in England’s 3-2 last-16 victory over Mexico at the Azteca was widely regarded as his finest display in an England shirt, and has only strengthened his legendary status.
In the last two Premier League seasons, Pickford’s tally of 23 clean sheets is second only to Arsenal keeper David Raya, who has recorded 32 for the champions across the same period.
Across his 89 England appearances, Pickford has conceded 59 goals, kept 44 clean sheets, and made just two errors leading to goals, according to Opta statistics.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes the Everton keeper has long been undervalued despite those extraordinary numbers at both club and international level.
Robinson told BBC Sport: “I think he has been under-appreciated for Everton and England when you look at the numbers he’s posting, the games he is playing and the number of clean sheets he has.”
Robinson added: “He is only second behind David Raya in the last two seasons for clean sheets and they are playing for very different teams.”
On Pickford’s development as a goalkeeper, Robinson was equally emphatic, saying: “He’s matured as a person and a professional. He’s an excellent shot-stopper, his distribution is second to none.”
Robinson praised the technical evolution Pickford has shown, noting: “His long distribution is superb, which England used as a weapon in Mexico — it led to one of the goals.”
Pickford has been England’s undisputed first-choice keeper since the 2018 World Cup, where they lost in the semi-final to Croatia in Moscow, and has seen off every challenger since.
Robinson highlighted just how dominant Pickford’s position has become, revealing: “Out of the five goalkeepers who could have been picked alongside Jordan Pickford, they had 11 competitive games between them.”
When Thomas Tuchel was appointed England head coach, some questioned whether he was fully convinced by Pickford, but, like predecessor Sir Gareth Southgate, he has made the keeper his undisputed number one.
Robinson drew a historical comparison to illustrate just how settled the position has become under Pickford’s watch, stating: “The talk around the position hasn’t been this quiet since David Seaman was there. It’s taken as read that Jordan Pickford plays.”
England’s win over Mexico was not without its anxious moments, with Pickford at fault early in the tournament when DR Congo breached him at his near post during the group stage in Atlanta.
However, in the high-pressure cauldron of the Azteca, Pickford produced two stunning first-half saves from Mexico striker Raul Jimenez before commanding his penalty area throughout a frantic second period.
England were reduced to 10 men after Jarell Quansah was sent off early in the second half, but Pickford’s willingness to come for crosses and corners repeatedly relieved the pressure on his depleted backline.
Robinson was full of admiration, saying: “He decided that he was going to stand up. He came for crosses, made decisions to go for balls, making life easier for his defenders because of how good he was.”
The veteran pundit added: “Jordan took it upon himself, punched the ball, caught the ball, made life easier for his defenders. The players know him and trust him.”
Now, with Norway and their master striker Erling Haaland standing between England and a World Cup semi-final, Pickford’s confidence and form could prove decisive once again.
Robinson concluded: “I think Jordan Pickford’s confidence will be at an all-time high and the team’s will be as well after their win against Mexico. It did go right and Jordan Pickford was a big part of it going right.”
