OPINION
Shay Given praised Everton’s Jordan Pickford for how comfortable he was with the ball at his feet, but Sam Allardyce must worry that the goalkeeper could end up costing his side.
The BBC pundit heaped praise on the 24-year-old Toffees goalkeeper after watching him play for England against the Netherlands, and highlighted how Pickford liked the ball at his feet.
“Pickford is very very comfortable, the most comfortable of all the goalkeepers in the squad with the ball at his feet,” said Given on BBC’s Football Football, as uploaded to the broadcaster’s website.
“I think last night (England v Netherlands) he proved that, Gareth (Southgate) said in his interview after that he was very very comfortable.”
Pickford was winning only his second England cap during the 1-0 victory over Ronald Koeman’s side on Friday and he was relatively untested during that game.
However while the likes of Given were impressed, the 24-year-old should have caused fans to have their hearts in their mouths when he decided to do a Cruyff turn during the match.
Pickford was charged down by a Netherlands’ player during that moment and if he had messed up his skill move, England would have conceded an embarrassing goal.
Now the game on Friday was a friendly with nothing at stake, so Pickford can be excused from risking his side’s potential victory.
However as the goalkeeper clearly feels comfortable with the ball at his feet, it’s only a matter of time before he takes it too far in an important game for the Toffees.
It will be only natural for Pickford to continue to push his luck, as he’s currently getting away with it, and sooner or later his opponents will make him pay for having the ball at his feet instead of keeping it in his hands.
Therefore Allardyce must act now to stop Pickford’s tendency to play with the ball at his feet, as it will cost the Toffees in the near future.