Jordan Pickford
Jordan Lee Pickford is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Everton and the England national team.
Pickford began his career at Sunderland, and played for their academy, reserve and senior teams. He had loan spells at Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Preston North End. He signed for Everton for a fee of £30 million in June 2017.
Pickford has represented England at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels. He made his debut for the full England national team in November 2017 in a friendly against Germany. He was the starting goalkeeper in England's 2018 FIFA World Cup fourth-place finish, in which the squad made its first semi-final appearance since 1990. He also started in England's UEFA Euro 2020 runners-up finish, in which they reached their first ever Euro final and first major tournament final since 1966. Starting every game in the group stage, Pickford conceded no goals. Pickford again started as England's first-choice goalkeeper as they reached the final of UEFA Euro 2024.
Early and personal life
Jordan Lee Pickford was born Jordan Lee Logan on 7 March 1994 in Washington, Tyne and Wear, where he attended St Robert of Newminster Catholic School. He grew up supporting his local football club, Sunderland.Pickford began dating Megan Davison whilst at secondary school. In March 2020, they married. The couple have a son who was born in 2019, and two daughters born in 2023 and 2025.
Club career
Sunderland
Pickford joined Sunderland's Academy at the age of eight and progressed through the age groups before signing two-year scholarship terms in 2010. The following year, he was promoted from the Academy to the reserve team.In 2011, Pickford signed his first professional contract with the club. The following year, he signed a contract extension with the club.
Loans to Darlington and Alfreton Town
Pickford signed on loan for Conference Premier club Darlington in time to make his debut against Fleetwood Town on 21 January 2012, playing the whole of a 1–0 home loss. The initial month-long loan was subsequently extended until the end of April. He went on to make 17 appearances for Darlington, who were relegated.On 25 February 2013, Pickford signed for Conference Premier club Alfreton Town, again on an initial month-long loan and was a cover for Phil Barnes, who was injured. He made his debut the next day in a 5–1 win over Hyde United. His loan spell at the club was subsequently extended until the end of the season. During this spell, Pickford kept 5 clean sheets in 12 matches.
Loans to Burton Albion and Carlisle United
On 2 August 2013, Pickford signed another loan deal, this time with League Two club Burton Albion, and made his debut the next day against Cheltenham Town. However, his loan ended on 17 August, after Sunderland recalled him with Pickford featuring just three times for Burton. On 13 September, Pickford re-joined Burton on loan. His handful of first-team appearances at Burton Albion led to an extension of his loan spell for another month. After making 13 appearances across his two loan spells, Pickford was recalled by his parent club once again. He subsequently spent 11 matches as an unused substitute on the bench as a cover for Vito Mannone between 23 November 2013 and 18 January 2014.Although it was rumoured that he could return on loan to Burton for the third time, Pickford joined League One club Carlisle United on a one-month loan on 8 February 2014. He made his debut that same day in a 2–1 loss away to Gillingham. His form and handful of first-team appearances led the club to keep him on loan for the rest of the season. After extending his loan at the club, Pickford went on to make 18 appearances for Carlisle.
At the end of the 2013–14 season, Pickford signed a four-year contract with Sunderland, keeping him at the club until 2018.
Loan to Bradford City
On 21 July 2014, Pickford joined League One club Bradford City on a season-long loan for the 2014–15 season. He made his debut on 9 August in a 3–2 win against Coventry City at Valley Parade, and kept his first clean sheet in the following match, a 0–0 draw away to Walsall. Pickford then received his first ever red card after he was sent off in the 11th minute of a 2–1 loss to Rochdale on 10 January 2015. He served a one-match suspension which his club did not appeal.On 7 February, he was once again expelled from play as he was sent off in the last minute of a 2–2 away draw against Port Vale. After being given a two-match ban, the club successfully appealed and had it revoked.
Pickford established himself as a first-choice goalkeeper for most of the season until he was recalled by his parent club on 9 March 2015.
Loan to Preston North End
On 31 July 2015, Pickford joined Championship club Preston North End on a season-long loan for the 2015–16 season. He kept a clean sheet on his debut in a 0–0 draw against Middlesbrough at Deepdale.Further clean sheets in a 1–0 win against Milton Keynes Dons in his second league appearance and a 0–0 draw with Rotherham United on 18 August made it three clean sheets from his first three league appearances for the club. On 25 August, Pickford kept another clean sheet as Preston defeated Premier League team Watford 1–0 in the League Cup. On 7 November, he recorded a 6th consecutive clean sheet in a 0–0 draw against QPR, equalling the club record. During his stint at Preston, Pickford impressed his veteran goalkeeping teammate Chris Kirkland, who said "Jordan comes out to take crosses and has an authority for someone still very young... As for his kicking, that is brilliant! I have never seen anyone kick a ball like he does." On 20 December 2015, Pickford was controversially sent off in a 1–0 defeat against Leeds United: he rushed out of his box to challenge striker Chris Wood, and was judged to have handled the ball. Preston successfully appealed the decision, using replay footage that showed the ball hitting his chest.
Return to Sunderland
On 1 January 2016, Pickford was recalled by Sunderland, with the side struggling in 19th place in the Premier League. He made his first-team debut on 9 January 2016, in a 3–1 FA Cup loss to Arsenal. He made his Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 16 January 2016 losing 4–1, meaning he had played in the top five leagues of English football by the age of 21. On 26 January, Pickford signed a new contract committing his future to Sunderland until 2020.Pickford began the 2016–17 season as understudy to Vito Mannone. However, after Mannone suffered a serious arm injury in training, Pickford started Sunderland's third league match of the season, away to Southampton. He produced several saves during the match, but in the 85th minute he made an error that allowed Jay Rodriguez to equalise for the hosts in a 1–1 draw. On 13 April 2017, Pickford was named as one of six players shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Everton
2017–18 season
On 15 June 2017, Pickford signed for Premier League club Everton on a five-year contract. The initial fee of £25 million, with the possibility of rising to £30 million in add-ons, made him the third most expensive goalkeeper in history at the time, the most expensive British goalkeeper of all time and will make him Everton's second most expensive signing, pending add-on payments, as Gylfi Sigurðsson is currently the club's most expensive signing with £40 million plus add-on payments. Pickford made his league debut for Everton on 12 August 2017, when his club beat Stoke City 1–0 at Goodison Park. At the conclusion of his first season, he was named Everton's Player of the Season, along with numerous other club accolades.2018–19 season
On 2 December 2018, against local rivals Liverpool, Pickford made a last-minute mistake after he mishandled a volley from Virgil van Dijk, allowing Divock Origi to score the winning goal for Liverpool from a close-range header in the 96th minute.On 10 March 2019, against Newcastle United, Pickford misjudged a cross from Matt Ritchie and then rugby tackled Salomón Rondón, conceding a penalty. He quickly redeemed himself by saving Ritchie's penalty with his legs, and Everton doubled their lead a minute later. In the second half, when an effort by Rondón went wide of the post, Pickford was seen smiling at the Newcastle fans in the Gallowgate end. However, he conceded three times after that, including parrying a shot by Miguel Almirón into the path of Ayoze Pérez. On Match of the Day, Ian Wright suggested that Pickford should have focused on his game more, and given he was a former Sunderland player, not let his emotions affect him. In April 2019 Pickford was allegedly filmed involved in a fracas; police said they would investigate.
2019–20 season
Pickford remained Everton's first choice goalkeeper, making 38 appearances in the Premier League and keeping 13 clean sheets.However, he struggled with form and again made several errors. His record of four errors leading to goals was the highest of any keeper in the Premier League. When it came to saving shots, only Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga saved fewer than Pickford. Despite this, Carlo Ancelotti remained steadfast in his support for Pickford, saying "Sometimes unfortunately you can have a mistake but after that you need to have the personality to move on quickly and he did."
However, he performed much better in the EFL Cup, being part of the team that made the Quarter-Finals of the competition, including saving a penalty from Leicester City's James Maddison. It was however not enough and Leicester progressed through after the penalty shoot-out.
2020–21 season
Pickford again continued to be Everton's first choice goalkeeper, being part of the team that won its opening four games for the first time since the 1969–70 season.In the first Merseyside derby of the season, Pickford was criticised for his tackle on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk which resulted in Van Dijk being substituted after six minutes, with what later turned out to be a season-ending ACL injury. The derby was one of the most heated in recent years, with Richarlison being sent off for a late challenge on Thiago Alcantara and captain Jordan Henderson having a game-winning goal ruled out for offside by VAR.