Plenty of footballers’ reputations can precede them, and Jordan Pickford is certainly one of those.
The highly-rated goalkeeper has impressed on loan at Preston, so much so that Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce brought him back early from the Championship club.
Pickford was handed his club debut in the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, and was given another outing in North London for his Premier League bow, starting the 4-1 defeat at Tottenham.
The hype was there, even before a ball was kicked.
https://twitter.com/Brad_Pinard/status/688327091885072384
https://twitter.com/JamesCapps_/status/688328086857854976
@paddypower can I have a price on Pickford going to the Euros with England in the summer?
— Will Monks (@Monksy91) January 16, 2016
And the 21-year-old delivered on the expectations, looking assured and making some big saves, even if Sunderland ended up on the losing side.
The praise only grew as the game went on.
https://twitter.com/ItsReidyy/status/688353531204624384
https://twitter.com/Sleaze_Jay/status/688361075880947713
First glimpse of Jordan's Pickford's talent there….no surprise so many in the game tipping him to become future England No.1. #safc #thfc
— James Masters (@Masters_JamesD) January 16, 2016
Though some people might have got a little carried away.
Pickford for the next england keeper. And ballondor
— Owen Rimmer (@owenrimmer3) January 16, 2016
The Black Cats might have lost, but people are convinced we were looking at a star in the making.
It’s rare that a goalkeeper comes out smelling like roses after conceding four goals, but Pickford was blameless and kept his team in the game for almost an hour.
Let’s just hope he’s more Joe Hart than Scott Carson, eh?
