Shay Given Questions Transfer Silence Around Jordan Pickford
Shay Given has watched the goalkeeping market spin wildly over the past decade. Big fees, bold moves, constant churn. One thing, though, has barely shifted: Jordan Pickford, nailed to Everton’s goal line and England’s number one shirt.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, the former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper admitted he can’t quite work out why.
Pickford has been at Everton for nearly a decade, a constant presence through chaos at Goodison Park. Managers have come and gone, squads have been ripped up and rebuilt, but the 32-year-old has stayed put and kept his England place, even breaking the appearance record for England World Cup games along the way.
Given finds the lack of noise around him odd.
“It is strange that we haven't heard of other clubs moving in for him during that time,” he said, pointing to the regular “goalkeeper merry-go-round” that tends to define some summers, when top clubs shuffle their options just as they do with managers.
The silence is what jars. Elite, experienced, still in his prime – and yet no public tug-of-war, no rolling saga.
Maybe there’s a simple answer. Maybe Pickford is just settled.
“Maybe he's just really well-settled at Everton,” Given suggested. He acknowledged nobody on the outside can know for sure whether bids have been made over the years, but in a market that usually sniffs out any uncertainty around a top goalkeeper, the absence of real speculation stands out.
Part of the surprise comes from the perception of Pickford’s age. Given, who joined Manchester City at 33, knows how long a goalkeeper can operate at the highest level.
“Jordan has been in the game for so long you think he must be 34 or 35 but he's only 32,” he said. “Goalkeepers in general get better with age as well. He's got many years left at the top level but maybe Jordan is happy where he is.”
That’s where the big clubs come into focus. If there’s even a hint he might be available, Given believes the usual suspects would not hesitate.
“You'd think Chelsea would be on the phone tomorrow and jump at the chance to sign him if he gave them any encouragement,” he said.
It’s not just the CV that makes that argument. It’s the saves. The moments. The kind that stay with you.
Given picked out one from last season at St James’ Park, a ground he knows intimately. Sandro Tonali let fly, the ball arrowing towards the top corner. Pickford somehow got up, tipped it over the bar. A flash of instinct and agility that left Given genuinely impressed.
“It was unbelievable but he has that in his locker,” he said.
Those interventions have become a familiar feature of Everton’s survival acts. When the team has bent, Pickford has often stopped it from breaking. That reliability is exactly what Given values most.
“He's a bit of a 'Steady Eddie', and if you think I'm playing him down by saying that, I'm not. I'm playing him up,” he insisted.
For a goalkeeper, being steady is not a backhanded compliment. It’s a premium trait. The spectacular saves are the highlights reel; the absence of errors is the foundation.
“When you've got a goalkeeper who is that steady, it's a real plus,” Given said, before turning to another part of Pickford’s profile that divides opinion – his personality.
Pickford’s on-pitch intensity, the shouting, the gesturing, the visible edge, has long been scrutinised. Some see volatility. Given sees something else.
“He's got a real personality. Some people say it can spill over at times, but it shows his passion and hunger and desire for the team to do well. It's his will to win, you can't coach that or teach it. It's just who he is, and I don't mind that at all.”
In an era when top clubs scour Europe for the next modern, ball-playing, ice-cool goalkeeper, Given’s question hangs in the air: with a proven, record-breaking England number one delivering season after season, how long can the transfer market keep ignoring Jordan Pickford?
