Former Tottenham midfielder, Jamie O’Hara has praised Everton and England goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford describing him as “one of the greats” and further emphasized that Pickford should have been signed by Manchester United during the Summer.
O’Hara’s comments come shortly after Pickford officially signed a new long-term deal with Everton, extending his stay at the club until June 2029, Softfootball reported.
During his interview with Sky sports news, O’Hara spoke strongly of the goalkeeper’s consistency and leadership, indicating that Pickford deserved some more recognition for his performance over the years.
He stated:
For me he is a great goalkeeper, he is one of the greats. I think he is one of English greatest goalies, I really do. I believe that he is a fantastic goalie— his clean sheets, the way he is. He wants to win something, every player wants to win something.
A review on Pickford noted that Ederson and Alisson Becker have kept more clean sheets in the Premier League than Jordan.
While Ederson and Becker had 122 and 97 clean sheets respectively, Jordan has kept 85 clean sheets in 300 appearances since his debut in August 2017. His clean sheets are also higher than that of Nick Pope and David de Gea who has recorded 78 and 72 clean sheets respectively.
After reviewing the last three premier league seasons which showed that Pickford had made only two errors, Jamie O’Hara was asked if Pickford was prone to a mistake.
In reply, O’Hara stated that Pickford might have been prone to mistakes when he started out as a goalkeeper but now he hasn’t made great improvements so far.
I think now we are looking at one of the best goalers in Premier League..
he acknowledged.
When the discussion shifted to other clubs and their interests in Pickford, O’Hara didn’t hesitate to express his point of view concerning Manchester United’s decision making when they needed a new keeper. He confidently added:
I don’t know why no one has actually gone in for him like Arsenal or Man United.
Man United needed a new keeper and they should have got Jordan Pickford, he would have absolutely answered all their problems.
Jordan Pickford’s performances at Everton and England continue to prove that he actually belongs at the top but since Manchester United clearly choose a different path, Pickford’s consistency ensures a good reputation for him.
