Jordan Pickford has pretty much seen it all since making his first England appearance at under-16 level in 2009. Although he experienced the embarrassment of conceding the only goal scored by a goalkeeper from open play at a Fifa World Cup match against Canada in the under‑17 edition in Mexico two years later, the 32-year-old has more than made up for it.
The 2-0 victory against Panama on Saturday was the 29th major tournament England game in a row to feature Pickford, as Thomas Tuchel’s side secured top spot in Group L to set up a meeting with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday. As the Everton goalkeeper is fully aware, things are about to get much more serious.
