One on One | Getting in the zone with Everton and England's Pickford!

0:01If I won 3-2 and I've let him do stinkers, I'd rather just win the game and keep a clean sheet all day long. going all the way to the wire for your own sake for the club's sake for the fans sake for everybody's sake I think it can be sometimes harder than going all the way to the wire to win a league title as soon as I go I would say go over that white line really I just go into that zone of that mentality I leave everything out on the pitch I literally have that passion and drive to do all I can to be the best version to keep the ball out of the net and I just love nothing more than winning football matches.

0:37I'm mad at all. Welcome to another one-on-one from Sky Sports. The podcast where one of us sits down with a biggest name from the world of football. And Jules, you're up again this week with England and Everton's number one. It will be your turn next week, Joe. Don't you worry. But let's talk about Jordan Pickford because that's who I spoke to. His slicked back hair and everything. We know what he looks like on the pitch. full of gel, game hair. But when I went to go and see him last week at Everton's training ground at Finch Farm, he'd just finished training. He'd had some lunch. He'd been in the meeting.

1:13So he took me a little bit by surprise when he walked into the interview room where we were going to have this conversation. And his hair was just fluffy. It was freshly washed. Fluffy hair, not even a little bit of gel in sight. So if you want to see what it looked like, You can see it on YouTube, obviously, and all the other interviews that we do here on one-on-one. But it really, really took me by surprise and it kind of gave him a completely different look. And we know how he plays as well. He's intense, he's passionate and he always gives his all for those 90 minutes or beyond. But he's got a range of facials that he pulls, like we saw when he saved that Erling Haaland penalty against Manchester City.

1:54but in a relaxed mood when we spoke he's just like a world away from this persona on the pitch he was so laid back and as you'll hear you'll get that through the conversation we just kind of spoke about how he gets himself into his zone for a game of football and it's really fascinating because he tells me that he actually doesn't realize what we see on the pitch what he looks like those facials that he pulls and everything else. It's just part of his zone that he gets into for a game of football. He's just signed that new contract as well that will keep him at Everton until 2029. So we talk about that as well.

2:35And we also spoke about how draining it was for him, battling relegation for those seasons that we've seen at Everton recently. And he actually thinks it's harder to avoid relegation in that fight than winning the Premier League title. Now, A full disclaimer, this conversation took place last week. So in the build-up to Everton's trip to Sunderland, where they picked up that draw that we saw, it's his boyhood club. He had a season ticket in Crazy Corner in the Stadium of Light. It's where his footballing journey began and the team that he grew up supporting. So that is where we started our conversation.

3:13It's gone full circle, starting with Sunderland. And this is Jordan Pickford on One on One. Born in Washington, a Sunderland fan, Jordan Pickford is writing his name all over this game. Fantastic reactions from Pickford. And what a say from Pickford. That's a match-winning day from Jordan Pickford. And Jordan Pickford comes to Sunderland's rescue again. Jordan, thanks very much for your time. I know it's been a busy day. It is a busy time. Sunderland, huge for you. Just take us back to those times and what life was like back then, eight years ago. That was incredible. I used to love it. Having the opportunity to play for your home club and being at Sunland Academy since I was an eight-year-old and getting into the first team, getting the number one shirt and playing that season was a great memory.

4:06But it was a lot of hard work and sacrifice beforehand. And them times were great. And there is the final whistle. And after flirting with relegation for so long, Sunderland are finally down and out there will be no rescue act this time Unfortunately we got relegated and we knew Everton came up to go and have the chance to come here and show how good I am and it was a great move for me we also knew the 2018 World Cup was around the corner and it was the opportunity to become England's number one and Everton put me on that platform. I had to perform week in, week out and it gave me my dream goal.

4:55When you look back though at that time and people will look at moments, it's crazy to think that your Premier League home debut was actually against Everton and how things kind of work out. Yeah, I remember it. I think I made a good save from the Kaku early goals from a header. Fantastic reactions from Pembroke. But they beat us 3-0 on the night, so it wasn't an ideal home debut, but it was still another memory for me, even though we got beat. That was probably the most nervous I've ever been in a football match. Why? Because it was my home debut at Sunderland at Stadium Light. It was a big occasion for me.

5:36Going there as a fan for years and watching support in the southwest corner, which was a crazy corner back then where my season ticket was. That was me growing up as a lad. And I always remember going, walking through the bridges, over the bridge, just being a fan. But did you think it would be Everton where you would end up that night you played against Everton? No, I never looked through. Was that ever part of the story? No, no, no. Well, clearly it is, but you couldn't see it happening. No, I didn't predict this. I never looked into the future and never I think it all just happens naturally and to come to a club like Everton fell into place and been here ever since So what do you make of Sunderland now?

6:25Because times have changed a lot and I think they're still on that high aren't they? After that playoff semi-final win over Coventry, I don't think they've ever looked back No, I think they give me some credit for that Arlo, I think he that was his first game at the stadium like that night so it was a bit of a rollercoaster for me, never mind him. So being up there, the atmosphere, their memories, I'm over the moon, I went just to live that memory of my son, going to that atmosphere and that raw emotion and rollercoaster of the game and for Dan Pollard to score with his shoulder in the last kick of the game.

7:07And the atmosphere for about 30 minutes after, still in the stadium, was sensational, but to watch that game for them being in the Premier League is amazing. Is your son as much a Sunderland fan as he is Everton fan? Or is it still Sunderland? Everton fan in the fact that his dad's involved. I think it's more what his dad does, I think. But he knows how much I love Sunderland. So he's Everton, England in Sunderland. One of England's great football clubs is truly reborn. Sunderland are once again where they should always strive to be you couldn't go to the playoff final could you obviously but you got to watch it yeah I still had my job I still had one more game left so we kind of watched the first 60 minutes in here then we had to get over to the airport before our flight but luckily enough our flight was a little bit delayed so we could watch the end of it and I was jumping up and down shall we say I think you said, I read some quotes somewhere, you said there was no way David Moyes was going to allow you to go anywhere near that day.

8:19Do you think you would have ever come back? It was more the fact that I wouldn't have been in the fifth state of play on the Sunday, so that's why I wouldn't have let me go. I'd have still been in London. Everton season so far, how would you assess it? How is it going in your swanky new home? I've said it before I think Goodison's always going to have that history for a lot of years you'll never get rid of that history the stuff we've won the leagues we've won the managers the players we've had the legends that have come and gone you'll never forget them but it's like the chapter was closed and it's like a new chapter now and we're part of that in the new stadium and that's something I've been actually looking forward to for a while I've came into a club with history and I enjoyed my time but it's like how can we create history as the Everton team now going forward and we've got the new stadium which I'm loving What's David Moyes said about the season I guess internally he's set quite high targets for you Yeah the target's high but I think the targets are achievable for the squad we have and something we're driven as a squad of players is we want to finish as high up as we can the manager's driving that we want that and we all should want it and we are and that's what the club want as well so we're all striving we all want the same thing it's about all putting it together and performing week in week out and the manager sets us up to perform well then we've got to go and execute that and yeah we'll keep working hard and want to win games as much as we can we're playing some great football it's about taking them chances and scoring As well as your team targets do you set yourself your own target Are you a target kind of individual?

10:08No, I'm more of a team player, mate. I just win games. If I've won three, two and I've let in two stinkers, I'd rather just win the game and keep a clean sheet all day long. Yeah, always been team-orientated, always wanted just the best for the team, best for the fans. I want everyone going home happy because I'm going home happy. That means everyone else is as well. Then you can have a good weekend, can't you? So many goals this season do seem to be scored by these set pieces. It's around about 19 % of goals so far. I know you're on the end of them. Why is that? It just seems to be a huge talking point.

10:45Unless you're Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce et al, it's all come back into fashion when it was there already. Yeah. I think football's all about the balance. I think it's about game management. It's the times to do stuff. if can you play out from the back or are you going to have to crunch it up but it's all time of the game if you're winning 1-0 away from home you're going to try and take your time get the pitch, win a throw in so set pieces, they've always been in the game it's just people are reinventing it again the set piece coaches now I think Tony Pulis and Big Sam didn't have them they just did it themselves a few years ago So, no, set pieces are crucial.

11:32They've always have been in the game. A lot of the big matches, you know, cup finals, you know, when you're in major competitions, you know, a lot of games are won by set pieces, them small margins. And, you know, everyone's putting a lot of time and effort in it and they will pay off. It's about putting that, fine-tuning them small details. Everton and England number one, Jordan Pickford, has signed that new contract at Everton. It's a new four-year contract to take him to the end of June 2029. If he sees it through to then, it'll be 12 years at Everson. David Moyes, how key was he in you committing yourself to your future here and the job that he's done for you?

12:17Yeah, no, he's been great. You know, he come in, I don't know if it was January last year or whenever he came in. This year? This year. What's this year? it was this year yeah this year wow how long it has been no he's he's come in and he's been brilliant our form was great um when he come in him it was simple he said i'm not i'm not managing a never team fighting at the bottom of the table i want us to get right up there and push and that's that's the standard he set and that's what he's driving us to do and you know he's been it was when the contract talks started, it was a pretty simple decision, really.

13:00I always remember talking to Seamus Coleman after the first time you survived relegation as a team. And he said to me, I never want to go through that again as a player. 12 months later. 12 months later, you do it again. As players, how difficult is that to go through? on it was it was quite a regular thing at that point but now you can move on from it yeah it's it shows our mentality because that's probably what we were going through you know that survival mode like the Crystal Palace game you know if we didn't beat the Crystal Palace we had to go to Arsenal where we were last game of the season getting a result you're going all the way at the wire to you know for for your own for your own sake, for the club's sake, for the fans' sake, for everybody's sake, we don't want to get relegated.

13:53I think it can be sometimes harder than going all the way up the way to win a league title because there's so much more relies on it. Draining. Yeah, yeah. I remember the Crystal Palace game and I was just so drained. I was just like, just the energy just, like, seeing as the full-time whistle, it just zapped out of me.

14:21One of the things I was quite interested to ask you about was because I've been behind your goal when you played for England a couple of times. The first time was in Rome during Covid Euros. You were playing Ukraine, one. And the second time was in Qatar against France. And we all know what happened there. but to watch you in your zone in your moment for those matches can you take us into that because it's incredible to be that close to you and see what you're like you're like a completely different person yeah just as soon as I go I would say go over that white line really I just go into that zone of that mentality and just so it's a lot of it's focus and that keeps me zoned into the game for 90 plus minutes.

15:10And I've always been like that as a young kid. And I don't think I'll ever change. And you either love or hate it, really. When you see yourself, do you recognise yourself? No, I just thought, like, for example, like the Haaland penalty when I saved it last year, it was like, I'm doing like facials. I'm not actually trying to psych him out. I don't even know I'm doing it. I'm just getting myself in the zone for the penalty to be taken so people were like, oh why are you doing them first I was like, I don't know, it just happened it just happened at the moment, I wasn't trying to psych him out so that's just me that's who I am, that's what I'll be Because there was one moment in, I can't remember which game it was you actually looked at me and you went, what time is it and I was like, what?

15:56What is that? Maybe just to keep you focused, keep you in Yeah, for me it's just I'm mad at it I don't know. I'm chilled now and that, but I think once I go in that white line, it's literally like I leave everything out on the pitch. I literally have that passion and drive to do all I can to be the best version to keep the ball out of the net. And I just love nothing more than winning football matches. And Holland has his penalty saved, but the header's in! But the flag is up! To where you are now and to what you are achieving and to what you are doing, obviously this incredible run of clean sheets that you're on with England as well.

16:38Is there a moment though that you'd just like to take to go back to being that lad at Darlington, your first senior football kind of appearances and what you were doing and living that life, if you could do it again for maybe one day? Would you? And what would you do? No, you know, there are times even like school and stuff, you look back and go, time's your life really. So there were great moments, going on loan, playing my first senior men's football game at Dalton, at the stadium where my brother played his first senior men's football game as well. So stuff like that is good memories. Jumping in the car.

17:20Jumping in the car, yeah, just driving home with the tunes blasting and going out with your mates and stuff like that. So at the end of the day, you look back and go, So you had a good time. But you've still got plenty that you can still achieve, though, as well. What with England and Everton. Yeah, yeah. You've still got a lot of future in front of us and a lot of opportunities. It's about taking them as a team, as a club and as a nation. And something I'm striving for and everything I'm involved in. It's a team sport, more striving for success. How good is Jordan Pickford? Not just at football, but as a talker.

18:00I absolutely love the man. And he never puts a foot wrong for the national team either, does he? And, you know, he is basically one of the first names on the team sheet for England in that World Cup next summer, guaranteed. Yeah, whatever you see away from football, he cares so much about football. So even though he likes to have a good time, he likes to chill out, he likes to be with his mates, when it comes to football, that is his number one, which is probably why he's wearing the number one shirt for England. And obviously, Everton's number one as well. He's on this incredible run with the national team at the moment, recently setting that new record for consecutive clean sheets, which he extended to nine after that win against Latvia in October last month.

18:46But I just found it really interesting to hear as well. He's all in. He doesn't set himself targets. He doesn't have those individual targets. How many clean sheets can I get? This, that and the other. For him, as long as the team do well, England and Everton, he's happy. go home with three points, concede two goals, Everton say win 3-2 or England win 3-2. He goes home, he's happy. He just wants to win with over 300 appearances as well for Everton. He's told me he's really happy at the club and especially with the new stadium as well because that's where he wants to create some history. And he says he hopes the team can do that for Everton in the new swanky stadium down at the docks.

19:27And he was so good as well talking about taking his own son to watch Sunderland in that playoff semifinal against Coventry and the memories that they created together. So a real family person, the type of person you can go down the pub with, have a laugh, have a few pints, maybe a bag of crisps. But he's that kind of guy. Yeah, I have to say he guaranteed be good value on the night out. I know for a fact he loves a rave. I know for a fact Jordan Pickford is a raver. So if we could somehow set that up, I would pay serious money to go for a rave with John and Pickford because I myself quite like a rave, Jules.

20:03So I think it would be interesting to see that crossover of worlds. It has to be said, but yeah, he'd be guaranteed good value on the night out, wouldn't he? Absolutely, 100%. Maybe later on in the season, maybe after the season's finished, maybe after England have gone on and won the World Cup. Who knows? Maybe when he's actually got that time to let it all go and just enjoy and celebrate the season and what could happen at the end of the season, obviously with England as well. Maybe he can just go and celebrate that. And as he said, get the rave on. Great stuff as always. And if you want to watch Jules' chat with Jordan, then search for it on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel.

20:41Yeah, we're here every week chatting to more big names in football, players, coaches. So if you don't already, give this show a follow. New episodes, they come straight into your podcast player of choice every week, downloaded straight away. So give the show a follow so you don't miss any of them. yeah I'm off this week to speak to Enzo Maresco we did him last season for the pod we're going to do him a year on we'll see what he's been up to what tactical changes he's made I want to have a little bit of a chat about Esteval as well he's making waves so fingers crossed they get a good result midweek else this one could be tough chat soon Joe baller league coming as well yeah honestly tune in let us know you think the mystery player is because honestly it's making headlines

21:30Hi there, Sui Ngolem here, the host of the Essential EFL podcast from Sky Sports. We're well into the swing of the season now and the action is hotting up nicely across the Championship League 1 and League 2. On the pod, I chat with the Sky Sports EFL experts every week about the latest games and big talking points from across all three leagues. So if you're a fan of an EFL club or if you just want to keep up to date with what's going on in the Football League, search for Essential EFL and give us to follow.