My shootout save in 2018 was a huge moment for me and the team. We'd moved on from being the underachievers to a nation that genuinely believed' Jordan Pickford on ending England's penalty hoodoo

"Jordan Pickford is currently preparing for his fifth tournament as England's no.1. Only his skipper, Harry Kane, has more Three Lions appearances at major competitions than the Everton stopper, who has been a fixture at the back since England's World Cup 2018 tilt. His run in goal began in Russia that summer against Tunisia in what was his first competitive England appearance and since then, he has become a central figure in the Three Lions' modern resurgence."

"I've always demanded a lot of myself, to improve and be the best, Pickford tells FourFourTwo as he reflects on the journey since that game against Tunisia. This is my third World Cup and I want to win it I think we have a good opportunity and then keep going. I put a lot of hard work in and I just want to keep proving I'm the best. I don't usually get nervous, but that Tunisia game was one of the rare occasions where I felt it, he admits."

"What an experience that was, though what a feeling to walk out to play your first ever World Cup game. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. It's now up to me to pass on everything I learned in those moments to the guys experiencing it for the first time. Part of Pickford's legacy will be helping to create the psychological shift for England in penalty shootouts, starting with that save from Carlos Bacca in the last-16 tie against Colombia in 2018."

"That was a huge moment for me, but also for us as a team, the 32-year-old continues. We all felt there was a shift around the country from that point onwards, that we'd moved on from being the underachievers to a nation that genuinely believed. Pickford saves from Bacca (Image credit: Alamy) That win was the result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes, both as an individual and as a team."

Jordan Pickford is preparing for his fifth major tournament as England’s starting goalkeeper. He began his competitive England run in Russia in 2018 against Tunisia, his first World Cup appearance. He describes demanding high standards, putting in hard work, and wanting to keep proving himself as he aims to win a World Cup. He recalls feeling nervous during the Tunisia match and values the experience of walking out for his first World Cup game. He believes his penalty save against Carlos Bacca in the 2018 last-16 against Colombia helped create a psychological shift, moving England from underachievement to genuine belief. He credits both individual and team effort behind the scenes for that progress.

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