Jordan Pickford has admitted he would love to create a “legacy” at Everton following recent reports the club were preparing to offer the goalkeeper a new contract.
Jordan Pickford said: “There’s always been a good legacy of goalkeepers here at the club, going back to the Neville Southall days – Tim Howard’s had a great career here as well. So I think Everton’s always been good to the goalkeepers. For me it’d be really good to have a legacy here, and hopefully this is the start of something. I’ve been here five years now, last season I think I played my part in keeping us up. Building a legacy here, having the fans buzzing off you, having the flag there behind the Gwladys Street is an amazing feeling. So yeah building a legacy is something I’d be really passionate about. When the fans came out on the Gwladys Street, all around the stadium, when we were leaving the training ground, at the hotel – with the flares and the support it touches your heart really. I had a big adrenaline rush from it, it gave me so much more belief, and I think speaking for myself and the team it gave us a lot more belief and how much support I had behind us to give us a boot to get those wins was crucial. Hopefully we’ll have the same next year with the fans on our side as well.”
Pickford has firmly established himself as one of Everton’s top performers in recent years after finding the strongest form of his career, for both club and country. Having been on Merseyside for five years now, he admits that he has changed both as a person and as a footballer during that time. The England international believes that he has become more mature thanks to his spell at Goodison Park, but he is firmly focused on improving more and more in the future.
Jordan Pickford added: “I’ve matured as a person, got a family now, a little boy. I’ve changed as a person more than as a footballer. But as a footballer I’m definitely getting better. You learn a lot more about yourself and over the five years I think I’ve become more consistent and I’m definitely getting better as I get older. Personally for me it’s just about getting better, helping the team like I try and do week in week out. I don’t give myself many targets each year, I just try and make sure I do better than I did last season. Hopefully I’ll be more consistent, which I feel I have been for the last 18 months to two years now. So yeah just keep putting in those top performances, when called upon help the team, get Everton three points and send the fans home with happy faces each week.”