Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford shows he hasn’t forgotten his roots, with a wonderful gesture for his hometown pub football team.
Jordan Pickford has enjoyed a meteoric rise in his professional career during the last 12 months. This includes receiving his first call-up for the full England national team and becoming the most expensive British goalkeeper of all time, after Everton signed him in June.
Since joining the Blues, Pickford has arguably been their best player during a disappointing start to the 2017/18 campaign. And all this, at the tender age of 23.
Taking everything into account, it would be easy for the young man to let it all go to his head. However, he is very mature for his age, while also being extremely grounded.
Proof of this comes from Pickford recently going back to his roots. As reported by The Mirror‘s Alex Richards, he decided to help out a pub team from his home town.
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The former Sunderland player is originally from Washington, in Tyne and Wear. As Richards writes, he went into his own pocket to pay for a new home strip and tracksuits for a newly-formed local pub team.
The team is called Washington Arms FC and they play in the fourth division of the Sunderland Sunday League. They took to Twitter, to thank Pickford for his kind gesture:
"“Thank you to @JPickford1 who bought our home strip & tracksuits. We are extremely grateful. We wish him every success at Everton & England.”"
This may not seem like much; after all, the Everton number one can certainly afford it.
However, it still stands as something extremely positive, when you consider how many top-level professional footballers let the fame go to their head and/or waste their money on lavish gifts. (Something which I’m sure I would have done, given how immature I was in my 20s!)
Washington Arms FC are going great guns so far this season, sitting at the top of their division with six wins out of six. And they got off to a good start in their first game wearing the new kits, winning 9-0 against AFC Houghton.
Next: Is Onyekuru headed back to Everton?
What is your opinion on how Pickford has played so far this season? Are you confident in his ability to be the long-term solution in goal for Everton? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.