Jordan Pickford wants to emulate Everton legend as Englishman sets out ambition

Jordan Pickford has signed a new deal with Everton, extending his stay at the club until the summer of 2027. The four and a half year contract extension means that Pickford could end up staying at the club for over 10 years, instantly putting him on the list of Everton greats.

Pickford arrived at Goodison Park in 2017 from Sunderland for £25 million and instantly took the starting role. Pickford has not looked back since and has been Everton’s undisputed No.1. The Englishman has had turbulent spells where he has committed errors, put buttery fingers on display and even conceded easy goals, but he has now evolved past that and continues to be one of the best keepers in the Premier League.

At one point, there were calls for a new keeper as Pickford looked to get complacent as there was no competition for his place but the former Sunderland man got past that phase soon. The last two seasons have been difficult for Everton as they have lingered in the lower half of the table and even been in a relegation battle.

Jordan Pickford wants to create a legacy at Everton

When the defence has been poor, Pickford has often bailed them out with outstanding performances between the sticks. With Everton once again hovering around the drop zone, there were rumours swirling that Pickford will look to leave the club in the summer and could be snatched by Tottenham who are searching for a Hugo Lloris replacement.

All of those rumours have been put to bed as Pickford has signed a new deal with the Toffees and as per reports there is no relegation clause in his deal meaning that even if Everton fail to secure Premier League football for next season, Pickford will not leave because of a certain clause. Speaking after the contract extension, Pickford wants to emulate the legacy of Neville Southall at Everton.

"It’s massive to sign this new contract at such a special club for me. The support I’ve had from everyone at the Club since I joined as a 22-year-old has been so important to my family and me. I’m happy here and so are my family. We love it at Everton.Everton is a massive club. The past few seasons have not been what we wanted but we now have a manager who I believe will point us in the right direction and get us up the table. It’s definitely my aim to be successful at this club. The fans, the staff and my teammates have been great with me from the moment I joined and I want to be great for them.I just want to keep working hard and performing for Everton. We know we are in a tough place at the moment in the league but I’m eager to help the team improve this season and then aim for success in the future, which will include playing in our new stadium.This contract will take me to more than 10 years at Everton and I want to build a legacy here to put myself up there with the likes of Neville Southall to be one of the best keepers to have played for Everton. (via club’s official website)"

Pickford is undoubtedly one of the senior members of this group and has leadership qualities that will be useful to the side for years to come. In absence of Seamus Coleman, Pickford takes on the captain’s armband and could become club’s captain once Coleman decides to draw curtains on his illustrious Everton career.

Will Jordan Pickford manage to create a legacy like that of Neville Southall at Everton?