England's Jordan Pickford on the competition to be starting goalkeeper, their Euro 2024 hopes and opening game with Serbia
Jana, Germany
Jana, Germany
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00:00Okay, good afternoon everyone and welcome to this media conference with Jordan Pickford.
00:09As ever, we'll keep it to a maximum of three questions per person. That'll be useful. We'll
00:13try and get around to as many people as we can. And then at the end we'll have a short
00:16section embargoed. Rob Dorsett, do you want to get us underway?
00:20Hey Jordan, good to see you.
00:22Yeah.
00:23Yeah.
00:24All good.
00:25Look, this is your fourth major tournament with England.
00:28Yeah.
00:29Does it feel different?
00:32Not really, I think. Excitement. It's always exciting to be a part of England in a major
00:36tournament and to be my fourth one is quality. A lot of hard work, you know, behind the scenes
00:42and I've got to keep performing for the club, which I think I have done. Yeah, I'm on 61
00:49caps now and it's a major honour to be in my fourth major.
00:55Your relationship with the back four is absolutely key to England's chances in this tournament
00:59and you've built up a great relationship with the guy you've just kicked out of the
01:02room, Jon Stone, in all the years you've played together. How is he? We've seen him there,
01:07he looked OK, but has he taken a full part in training today?
01:09Yeah, he has, yeah. With Stones, I remember playing in Germany in the 19s at A level and
01:17he made the step up early and I've known him for a long time and top player, you know,
01:24what he's won for his club. But yeah, he's fit and he's ready to go.
01:28He's really important, isn't he?
01:29Yeah, he's one of the best centre-backs in the world and, you know, for England he's
01:36been quality. The amount of caps he's got for us as well and yeah, top lad as well.
01:41I mean, despite him, Harry Maguire isn't here because of injury, Luke Shaw, of course, Gareth
01:47has told us probably won't play any part until maybe a few minutes in the second group game,
01:50so it will look a bit of a different back four in front of you. Is there any concern
01:55there and how does that affect you in terms of communication and understanding?
01:59No, I don't think it affects us. A lot of the lads I've played with anyway over the
02:05last 12 to 18 months and anyone who's in the England squad there for what they've done
02:12for the club and everyone's fighting for a spot, so whoever plays, we're always ready
02:17and always prepared and that's what the manager and the staff do, they get us prepared for
02:21whoever's starting for the first game or whatever game it is.
02:26Hi Jordan, there's lots of talk about the experience in the group with lots of young
02:31players in the squad, but you mentioned there you have over 60 caps, John Stones has over
02:3570, Karl Walker over 80. Are we speaking about it too much? Do you think experience will
02:40play a factor?
02:41No, I think we've got the right balance and yeah, the experience, we can help the younger
02:47lads who haven't added many caps, but everyone else has got different experiences through
02:52their own football careers and there's a lot of lads who are new but they've been to major
02:58tournaments at younger levels and you've got to go away from home for a while and everyone's
03:03been through their experiences, but no, us as senior lads, we've got to help them young
03:08lads if need be, but the top players, they don't need much help.
03:13Karl Walker's been named vice-captain for the tournament and there's not the leadership
03:18group anymore, so have you noticed the younger players speaking up more to the squad?
03:22No, I think we're a great group anyway and the togetherness and there's a lot of leaders
03:27on the pitch throughout the 26, there's a lot of players who are club captains, vice-captains
03:33for the clubs or captains, the club had some time and yeah, everyone's a leader in different
03:40ways and that's what we're good at.
03:44And in defence, it looks like Mark Gahey is likely to come into that back line you're
03:49part of, you've been guiding a young defender through the defence there, Everton, what's
03:54it like when you have a younger player in front of you?
03:57Nah, it's easy, they're there because they're talented and when they're talented I can help
04:06them, I can guide them because I can see the full pitch and just my communication is hopefully
04:13a key to help them and that's what I think I'm good at, but yeah, talented and they know
04:19what they're doing in front of me.
04:21Mr Pickford, big changes in the squad compared to Qatar, 13 new players, 15 new players compared
04:28to Euro 2021, are you surprised with all the big changes in the team?
04:33No, I think every two years on tournaments there's a lot of change happens, a lot of
04:41new talent comes through, a lot of lads playing well for the clubs and that's not a headache
04:48for me, it's more of a managers headache, but that's a headache I think the manager
04:52would want, having that ability to pick a lot of different people.
04:58Gerrit Stoutgate has always played you in the big championships, what does he mean for
05:02you?
05:03Yeah, for me he's been really good since a young age at under 21 level, but it's about
05:10me performing for my club, then I feel like when I put the England shirt on I perform
05:16as well, so it's about me stepping up each time I put the three lines on my shirt and
05:21being at my best.
05:23Going to Germany you're kind of one of the favourites, do you think that's something
05:27that separates from tournaments before, how does that affect the pressure on you?
05:34I think apart from Russia in 2018 there was no pressure on us, but to be a top team, top
05:43league team you've got to have that pressure and you've got to deal with it in the right
05:47manner and to be one of the favourites you've got to enjoy that pressure.
05:54Hi Jordan, you obviously reached the final last time around, in terms of group dynamics
06:00what would you say are the key factors for a successful tournament and a happy team?
06:07Yeah I think what the FA do and England do behind the scenes, the base camp we have here,
06:12a lot of hard work goes into it, our togetherness I think is the number one thing, the key factor
06:18in that is the togetherness as a squad, we've really got a good squad together, each tournament
06:25I've been in I've always enjoyed that team squad off the pitch, we have a good connection
06:31with each other and getting it right off the pitch is more key than on the pitch.
06:37And in terms of yourself, how do you prepare for a game and what type of mindset do you
06:44want to be in ahead of a big game like this?
06:48Yeah for me I prepare well, I train properly, give 100% each day in training, my preparations
06:54are already done when come game day, tick all the boxes I need to tick throughout the
07:00week and when it's game day I'm ready, ready to go, the pressure's off and just enjoyment.
07:07Jordan, John Stones and Kieran Trippier were here a minute ago, you can tell you all get
07:13on so well, how important is that in terms of your defensive unit, especially when there
07:17are newer players coming in to the group?
07:20Yeah, you know them two there, I'm surprised they haven't come back in to be honest, just
07:29having a good crack with each other, but when we're working we work properly, when we're
07:34on the training pitch there's questions asked, we demand off each other and that's the spirit
07:41you want in the squad, you want that demanding from each other to get the best out of each
07:45other to be successful.
07:48You said it changes the squad every couple of years, do you feel more than ever that
07:52this is a bit of a regeneration, it's a word that Gareth Southgate's used?
07:58Yeah, probably if the manager said that then yeah.
08:01I think we're getting older and the young lads are coming through, I was a young lad
08:08at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and them experiences, you learn from them and you get better so
08:17we can help the younger lads, but you've just got to go in there, us 26 players, you've
08:21just got to enjoy the moment and take each game as it comes and be ready and enjoy it.
08:28Just finally, what are you doing for the Scotland game tonight, have you got any kind of sweepstake
08:33going on for the tournament or anything else?
08:35Not a lot of it on football are we?
08:37I mean between you!
08:41Nah, we'll watch it, it's always enjoyed, the opening game and just to get a feel for
08:49it and it'll be packed, it'll be rocking and it'll be on the big screen somewhere to watch.
08:56We've got a few queued up, so we've got Henry, James, Ewan, David and Eric.
09:01Jordan, hi, your 60 seconds cap takes you past the late, great Ray Clements, within
09:06a year you could go past other great goalkeepers like Gordon Banks, Joe Hart, David Seaman,
09:11that would leave you only second to Peter Shilton who's obviously way out in front with
09:15125.
09:16You've just been voted Everton's Player of the Year for the third successive season,
09:19nominated for Saver of the Season, do you think you're properly appreciated?
09:24Yeah, I think I have 61 caps now and for me I work hard, on the pitch I work hard, I do
09:36everything right to my best ability and I always want to improve, I'm 30 now and I keep
09:42improving each day, if there's anything I can learn I'll keep trying my best to improve
09:47and I think that's what keeps me pushing, that's why it's my fourth major tournament
09:52and that's why I've won Everton's Player of the Year for the last three seasons, so no,
09:57I know what I'm doing and I know I'm going to keep getting better and hopefully I'm appreciated
10:02and hopefully this tournament is a success.
10:05Hi Jordan, just going back a bit further, you avoided relegation with Everton on the
10:10final day of the 22-23 season, do you reflect on how pivotal a moment that was for you with
10:17England as well, because it would have presumably been harder for you to keep your place if
10:20you'd been in the Champions League?
10:22Yeah, I think there's a lot of positives and negatives, when I've been at Everton with
10:29that, big relief more than anything, but you learn from them, the experiences, you've got
10:36lads here like Jude for example who's just won the Champions League final and us, 22-23
10:44season we're fighting for our lives, to see in the Premier League, so them experiences
10:49all bedding together to be successful in a tournament because you're going to have
10:53highs and lows throughout the tournament, you're going to have them rides and that's
10:57where you've got to be mentally strong and that's something I am, my mentality I think
11:02is key.
11:03At the time, in the second half of that season obviously Aaron was going for the league with
11:07Arsenal, Nick who was in the squad then was doing well at Newcastle, did you fear at the
11:11time that you might lose your place with England?
11:13No, I always think how can I get better to keep them lads behind me and I remember that
11:20time getting asked that question about it and I said it's always great to have competition
11:25with Rammers and Portby at the time, but that makes me want to improve because I've got
11:31the jersey and I want to keep pushing forward and they need to chase me and if I keep improving
11:37the competition's got to improve and I think that's what's good about the England goalkeeper
11:42set-up at the minute, there's a lot of good goalkeepers in England and yeah, we all want
11:48to fight for the shirt but I've got the shirt and I've got to keep improving.
11:52And just looking at the here and now, the team have had two clean sheets in the last
11:56seven games, is that relevant, is it a concern going into a tournament?
12:01We've played some top opponents but no, clean sheets is key in a major tournament to get
12:10a ref final to win the tournament, you've got to have good clean sheet records or as
12:14marked as the keeper coach is, zeros and ones get you so far and for us it's about getting
12:22as many clean sheets as we can because everyone in the room knows the ability we have up top.
12:27What do you think you need to be doing a bit better to improve that record?
12:30We'll be ready come Sunday.
12:34Hi Jordan, so Harry Kane is set to break the men's record for most major tournament
12:40appearances by an England player, you've been with him for most of his international career,
12:44I'm just wondering is there anyone more fitting to break that record?
12:48Harry leads by example, he's a skipper and the professionalism he gives us, he's an example
12:56for us to look at, he's the record goal scorer and what he does on and off the pitch, he
13:04leads by example and you know the season by season he has with the club, the amount of
13:10goals he scores and the amount of goals he scores for England just shows us the example
13:14we need and in training it's not nice for a goalkeeper but practising against the best
13:20and that pushes us as well.
13:22In a similar vein, I think you're going to draw a level with Peter Shilton when you start
13:27your next game, you could have a few more major tournaments after this so I don't think
13:31anybody is going to catch your record potentially?
13:33No, I just keep focusing on myself and game by game, tournament by tournament, it's nice
13:40to be up there with them, sort of legends of goalkeepers and just keep pushing and keep
13:47getting as many caps and wearing the shirt of pride as much as I can.
13:53Hi Jordan, Davide from Italy, my first question is about life in the England camp, how do
14:00you chill out, how do you relax, how do you prepare for games apart from training of course?
14:05Yeah, the set up is amazing, they've built for us, the base camp has always been good
14:12for England and put a lot of effort into it for us and luckily enough we've got a couple
14:18of golf courses we can have a bit of downtime on, I like my golf so that's a good factor
14:23but yeah, there's loads of things to do, recovery, enjoyment, table tennis, dartboards etc.
14:31and yeah, we all have a bit of crack.
14:34Looking at Serbia, they are the team that scored the most goals by head during the qualifiers,
14:40how do you prepare for a team like that?
14:42Yeah, we know they're a big side, Mitrovic up top is a quality player, I played against
14:48him a lot of times in the premier league and yeah, we've just got to be ready for them and
14:55do every individual role we've got to be prepared for and do our best to keep them up here.
15:01You mentioned Mitrovic, Serbia is another great forward and Blahović a place for you as well,
15:06me working from an Italian newspaper, I have to ask if you know him, what do you know about him?
15:12Yeah, I've seen him linked with premier league clubs a few years ago and he's at Juve now,
15:18another top player but they're two individuals of a very good side and we're prepared for the
15:24best of Serbia and we need to go and take the game on and get the result.
15:29Thanks, we'll pass back to Eric Peters from Bild.
15:32And then we'll go to Gerry Lawton and finish this section.
15:35Hey Jordan, Eric from Bild Germany.
15:37So the German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is still playing at the age of 38,
15:42what do you think of him and is it also a goal for you to play for so long?
15:47Yeah, one of the best keepers in my era growing up, still love to watch him now,
15:55can't say much more than what a top goalkeeper he is and what he's won and
15:58how he plays the game as a goalkeeper and at 38 still at the highest level is something I will
16:07like to be doing but I've got to be doing everything right on the pitch and off the pitch
16:12to be in that state which Manuel is and it's a credit to him and like I say,
16:19he's probably one of the top three in the last 15, 20 years.
16:23Who do you think is the best goalkeeper in the world right now?
16:28Good question, there's a few.
16:32Yeah, there's a few top goalkeepers in the world right now but
16:35Courtois has obviously had a big injury over the last season but before that I would say Courtois
16:41for me was the best goalkeeper but he's been injured a lot this season but yeah,
16:45he can take your pick, there's a lot of top goalkeepers and everyone's different and
16:50it's whoever you prefer.
16:52Thanks Eric, I'll finish with Gerry on the back row.
16:59Hi Jordan, good luck first of all.
17:02Just wondering if you could speak a bit,
17:04if you had maybe a message to the fans, there's 300,000 at least on the way here right now,
17:10there's about 50% of the population are going to be watching you tomorrow night at least.
17:15They've waited a long time in the men's game for a major tournament,
17:19I just wonder if you could express the determination among the squad to bring it home?
17:25Yeah, that's our goal but the most important thing for us is to win the first game,
17:34get out of the group game by game, focus on each game as it comes because you can't look too far
17:40ahead, everyone's goal is to lift that trophy but it takes a hell of a lot of hard work to get there
17:47and there'll be nothing more proud for me to lift that trophy and to bring it home for the fans but
17:53it's so much hard work to go into it first and you can't look too far ahead but I know all the
18:01England fans will be rooting for us and the passionate everywhere in the country will be
18:06rooting for us and I know they'll be having a good few days on the booze so I'll be good.
18:11Thanks very much.
18:12Thank you.