England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is polarizing. This was also the case in the semi-final against the Netherlands. After conceding a goal, he elbows Donyell Malen. An unnecessary show-stopper.
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- Jordan Pickford already made headlines in the quarter-final against Switzerland with his antics and grimaces.
- Against Holland, he attracted attention with an attempted elbow check.
- He himself believes that these actions help him to keep his focus.
The England team is all about stars like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka. However, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, of all people, is increasingly playing himself into the limelight at this European Championship. Not necessarily because of his performances, but because of his provocative and theatrical manner.
He gave a further demonstration of this in the European Championship semi-final against the Netherlands. After conceding an early goal that could have been saved, he elbowed Donyell Malen and then went down himself. Malen does not react to the action at all, but celebrates the goal scored by his team-mate Xavi Simons. The referee does not register the situation either.
"One of the most unfair goalies I know, that Pickford"
"That's what the English fans love about him," Diego Benaglio analyzes the scene at half-time on SRF. "Always a bit of a show. I like it less."
Benaglio is not the only one who feels this way. Ever since England's penalty shoot-out against Switzerland, many fans have had it in for the showman. He once again tried to unsettle the Swiss shooters with mind games and grimaces. Sascha Ruefer's comment: "One of the most unfair goalies I know, this Pickford."
Pickford himself thinks the antics help him to keep his focus. For example, after he gave Xherdan Shaqiri the thumbs up after his crossbar goal in stoppage time.
What most people hate him for, the English love him for. They celebrate his show, his provocations and his grimaces. Some even want a picture-in-picture showing only Pickford for 90 minutes.
In the end, Pickford is once again the radiant winner. Only the Spaniards can now prevent him and the English from winning the long-awaited title. And it can be assumed that he will once again attract attention in the final.
