Football Daily - Jordan Pickford - The Football Interview

Episode Date: November 1, 2025

In this week’s edition of the Football Interview, Kelly Somers speaks to the Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. They discuss ambitions for his club side this season, breaking Gordon Banks’ record for the number of consecutive clean sheets for England and his love of motocross.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. To embrace the impossible requires a vehicle that pushes what's possible. Defender 110 boasts a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, a weighting depth of 900 millimetres and a roof load up to 300 kilograms. Learn more at landrover.ca. The Football Interview on the Football Daily Podcast. I'm Kelly Summers and this season I'll be interviewing some of the biggest names in football asking them the questions they don't normally get asked

as I try to find out more about the person behind the player or manager. The first half will be on football the second on their life away from the game. This isn't just any interview, this is the football interview. This week I'm joined by Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Well Jordan let's start with football. What does it mean to you? It's all I know really. As a young kid played since I was five year old so I grew up being a football fan and

having an opportunity to become a footballer which was like every kid's dream and there's only so many people that can achieve that dream so it's like a massive honour and like I take it with a lot of pride that I'll become a footballer. Did you always think you'd be a goalkeeper when you picked up that ball? When you picked up that ball age five, were you picking up with your hands or with your feet? No, I was always in goal. Really? Right from the beginning. So my first memories was being in goal.

I don't know if I was messing about with a young kid before that, but I just remember playing with my brother and his mate's on the street and I was in the goal on the concrete. Then when my brother was playing for the district at the time, there was a team training and there was the need of the keeper, so I just went in goal. And that was pretty much the staff. the start of me.

A keeper playing on concrete as well? You've got a bit. I'm daft, aren't I? So, yeah. Who was your hero, your childhood, like, idol? Yeah, when I was, like, watching football, it was like Kevin Phillips and, like, Tommy Sorenson when I was young. But, like, as I started getting older, like, I'd say, like, Waza and Joe Hart.

Oh, okay. So you always had the attacking player that you liked, but also the goalkeeper, too? Yeah, it was, like, legend, like, when you're growing up and I was a bit two-year-old. I was a bit too young for Gaza. What was it like when you first joined Sondland? Because you were a boyhood Sondland fan, weren't you? That must have been like the absolute dream. Yeah, so I was at Sondon from, like, development scored like 7 and 8,

then got like the first like under 9s. So then you had to do well every year to keep getting another year. So once I joined and going to the games, you're playing every Sunday for them. It was mint, but it was probably when you were getting a bit older, like 14 and 15 where you get that realization. that you've got an opportunity. Yeah, was there ever a moment

where you thought I could make this here? It's started at a younger age now but when I was growing up you used to get a day release one day a week on a Tuesday and so you have the full day at trading which...

That's a dream isn't it? Yeah, he used to like to do in hours' work which was horrific like, but like 14, 15 I got invited to do like Thursday morning at Sunland and training with the youth team at like 15 so I used to have like a day and a half off school

so that's when I kind of thought I need to start, like I was sticking in properly then. You didn't have it easy all the time at Sondland going on a lot of loans, but then you did make it here to Everton. What was that move like for you? The loans, like I would say now, if any goalkeeper can have an opportunity to go out and loan and playing the leagues or low leagues will be more beneficial

than playing the youth team football or the... Why is that? Because you're playing their proper game, and it means, I know playing football you want to win every game, but there's a lot more pressure that you thrive off and you learn mature more as a keeper quicker decision-making and stuff. That's probably the best thing that's happened to me going on all them low moves. It feels like there's a lot of excitement around the club,

but there's also a lot of kind of hype around you. You're often linked to other clubs. Why was this the right time to sign that new deal? When I first signed, we were in Europe, and that was the drive of Everton, that's where Everton should be. And we had the two or three years where a bit of a roller coaster ride and weather them storms and now it's all looking positive

and the club's getting the right direction and you see with the signings the club's made and the drive we've got this season to improve and it comes from the top of the club I think you'll see a lot more positive results and us pushing higher up on the table you want to be playing in the Premier League and I've got that opportunity for everything.

What are the ambitions of Everton this season? I'll never look at the end of the season say oh I want to do this I want to I always take game by game that mentality but when you sign a new contract you must kind of have an idea of where you want Everton to go yeah well I'm not going to let you give me the player answer there no no I think we all want to be pushing the top half of the table one of the manager is driving us to be in that top off trying to get Europe you know this this year I think eight clubs are in Europe or maybe nine so

getting in that top half and sustaining that momentum in the top off and not dropping down and keep putting us as players, that pressure to go and get more results and keep improving is definitely a drive. And I feel if we do that with the squad we've got, we can push that Europe side. We never know if it's going to be Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, if we're in round that bracket for most of the season, we've had a successful season. As for England, that's not going too badly too, qualifying for the World Cup and nine successive clean sheets for you as well, surpassing Gordon Banks' record.

What does that mean to you? Yeah, I don't take all the credit. It's a great on a break a record like that because Banks, you're an absolute legend of the game. But I always hate to team effort and we'll win together, lose together, keep clean sheets together. I know here to Caleb. He keeps scoring goals week and week out and that's what the lads are, provide service. And I'm there to help the lads when I need a mate to be called upon. And that's what I feel like I do.

And that shows when I'm always in the moment as a goalkeeper. because them games are probably not that much work to do but when called upon I'm making saves I'm making the right decisions playing out from the back so there's a lot more to it than just the clean sheets because it's not as if I'm having seven or eight saves to make in the game there's the concentration elements and stuff so I take credit on that for myself

with staying in the game staying in the moment but I'll never take the full credit for the clean sheet how do you stay in the game stay in the moment when you aren't busy because some of the games England have had recently as you've said you haven't been called upon which is what you want but then you have to stay switched on in case you are needed yeah you just got to stay mentally prepared every goalkeeper's difference for me it'll be like if the ball's in the other half the pitch being in the right side always mirroring the pitch if I'll be on the right side of the ball making sure I

feel if it's breaking down I'm in the right position to maybe get a through ball in the right position to make a save and communication as well I feel like just being connected is probably key. It's been a remarkable career for you so far and you've still got a fair few years left in you but when you reflect on it all, has there been a turning point or a moment that you think if that hadn't happened

maybe I wouldn't have achieved what I have? I think I've always had that mentality that I just want to improve myself. I don't want it like for all I've got 80 caps for England I've played 330 times forever and I've made it I'm always striving for more for myself. When Arlo was born my son

that was a big change where where like it was an unknown to the family and like it was new of me and me and me and Megan and that was a big change but that was where I had a bit of dip in form and that's when I started using psychologists so you know rough with this move. There's been some interesting quotes from your teammates where they've kind of talked about your personality I've heard James Tokovsky talk about the fact that you bark at him you've had full-on arguments on the pitch Carl Walker's kind of described you in various ways Declan Rice I read some of the quotes but they

basically all just say you're a bit bonkers. Yeah. There's probably a line where sometimes I'll probably go too much that way. And that's something I'm trying to adapt and there's got to be a balance. When I put a football shirt on it's like if I'm doing small side of games outside of the lads and in training, like I hate losing. So it's just like it gets me revved right up. I think like I chose the passion I have for wanting to win. So we know how your teammates maybe would describe you. How would your best friend or your family members describe you? I think I care. I think I would say I'm caring and I look out for the people, like my mate's and I always want the best for everybody. I think that's one thing I'm good at and I go and watch all those football as much as I can. What are you like as a football dad? You try and just blend in or are you shouting at your boy? If I'm behind the goal and but like the last few times he switched on because I had a little, not a telling off but I like a little discussion with him where to say like you'll enjoy football or lot more for you were concentrating and because I went to one game he wasn't

interacting and like getting involved as much but he's only six and he took it so much on board and me and Meg went next week and he was playing like against Stokes Academy it was when that storm was on it was freezing that's not a good goalkeeper what conditions is it and he was amazing so like I didn't have to I didn't see anything because he took it on board so it was like oh that was amazing to see him enjoying it and I said did you enjoy that and he said it was I felt him in, then he was playing out the weekend and he'd done it again, he was really good. So I wouldn't shout at him.

I'll just, if he's lacking in concentration, I'll just give him a little switch on. The Dakar Rally is the ultimate off-road challenge, perfect for the ultimate defender. The high-performance defender, Octa, 626 horsepower twin turbo V8 engine and intelligent 6D dynamics air suspension. Learn more at landrover.ca. From the start of your day to the moment you head home. Join Five Live for the latest news, the stories everyone's sharing and the biggest debates.

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The Football Interview On the Football Daily podcast What was it like growing up in your house at home When you were a kid? Mad, that was mad No, I was there My parents brought me and my brother up really well Just the one brother you've got, yeah

Just my brother Richard And they were strict but not too strict you know what i mean they kind of let us do a lot what we wanted to do and i think times have changed now i've done you probably wouldn't see the kid the kids this day and age out on the street as much which i feel like we've kind of lost that way a bit and they're on the ipads and stuff like that but no we i was out on the street and um my mom's shouting in the street get in jordan like you want to be out all the time i want to be out all the time and she's shouting is getting you've got up to school tomorrow and I'm like still messing about.

Were you a bit of a naughty kid maybe? Yeah, I think so. My mum would describe me to something else but I can't see it, I'm here. You mentioned there your mum and I read a quote from you the other day where you said that even when you get an England call up now, she still texts you congratulations. So you obviously are incredibly close. Yeah, yeah. I'll ring her every morning and I'll ring her on the way home from June every day.

So every day? Yeah, yeah, because you always waiting for the phone call. But yeah, she'll text me after every call up, text me before every game. Appling, seeing good luck, and then text me after if I've had a good game or bad game, seeing well done. So as long as I was sticking, she's happy. Tell me one thing about yourself that would surprise me. I'm not allowed to do as a footballer, but I would love to be able to do motocross. Really? Why?

Because I grew up going to watch it every week with my mate and my best mate now where he rides in the British Championships. So if I can go to that, I'll go, like, every week and watch as much as I can. If I could do it, I would, but the strict rules and your contract is you're not allowed to do any, like, activities like that. But that's probably one thing in my life I would love to have done. Is that a big passion of yours? Yeah, like me, because I went from such a young age and we're staying, like, motorhomes, caravans, at the race track when we're kids, and it was min. The adrenaline I get from watching my mate's on the start line and the gate drops. didn't get the first corner, get the whole shot.

It's like, it's not like F1, it's like, everyone's like, on the street, oh, the adrenaline I get in, if they get a good start and like I'm properly like leaning over, like cheering them on and stuff, like proper fan. But like it's me. Do you ever get spotted there? Yeah, yeah, I get spotted eye, but I don't bother me. I'm literally laying over the fence, like,

pushing them on to try and do better. But that's like, it gives me proper adrenaline. That's probably one of me things I love. If you could only achieve one more thing, for the rest of your career, what would it be? World Cup, win. Next summer? Yeah, that would be me.

The goal I think the whole nation is waiting for, so yeah. Do you feel like you've got the best opportunity now? You've had some good opportunities? Yeah, we've had some great opportunities. I think the more experiences you have in tournament, football, and see the lads winning cups for Champions League, so I think you can lean on that. You must want that as well.

Yeah. Because trophies you've achieved so much. records of the trophies? I think for me it would be to lift that World Cup or lift a major trophy for England

would be number one and if I could ever get silverweight at Everton would be number two it's been that long since England's won something and to be a part of that would be amazing

I think we've got to believe in ourselves as England and you've got that opportunity and you've got to take it with both hands but you're playing the best nations in the world and you've got to be at your best

at each game and that's what takes you so far what are you proudest of? As a young kid growing up and getting that opportunity to become a footballer. You know, you might make your debut for Sondland and it might become a dream, but it's a sustainability of doing it for so many years and keep progressing and keep getting better. I think I'm proud of myself, the dedication I put in.

Welcome to the brand new podcast series Rugby League Top Ten with me, Mark Chapman. It's where John Wilkin, Brian Noble and Jamie Peacock will discuss, debate and argue over lists at the best players, games, finals, iconic moments and plenty of other categories that will no doubt leave you screaming at your device. It must entertaining parts of the last sport are these, the jeopardy, the moments.

He made rugby league look cool. Yeah, I mean, that's a difficult thing to do, I think. It is really, is. Yeah, no. I think we've all managed to carry that back on. Rugby League top 10. Listen on BBC Sounds.