Jordan Pickford claims he would volunteer to take a penalty for England at Euro 2024 if wanted… however reveals Gareth Southgate has NOT had his stars practising spot-kicks

Jordan Pickford says he’ll put his hand as much as take a penalty in a shootout for England this summer time – however has revealed there was no spot-kick observe to date.

First, says the goalkeeper, he and his team-mates should negotiate the group stage, which kicks off in opposition to Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.

Pickford was the hero at Russia 2018 as England received a shootout for the primary time at a World Cup when defeating Colombia within the final 16. 

He’s additionally the one Three Lions keeper to attain a penalty in a aggressive shootout, when smashing the winner in opposition to Switzerland within the Nations League bronze-medal match in 2019. And the Everton stopper is able to do all of it once more, if wanted.

‘If referred to as upon, I’m assured sufficient that I’ll take one,’ stated Pickford. ‘I might step up for my nation. However in case you look all through the squad, I believe I’d be down the pecking order!’

Perhaps not given the emphatic nature of his end final time?

‘I do know… took one, transformed one,’ he laughed, earlier than admitting there had not been speak of shootouts within the camp.

‘We haven’t gone into that element but, from a goalkeeping viewpoint. The lads who take penalties naturally for his or her membership, they could be doing their very own factor. I’ll be doing my homework tomorrow on the Serbia recreation. However the knockout phases, that can come later, as a result of we now have three huge video games forward of us earlier than we get to that.’

For now, Pickford could have his palms full on the different finish of the park. Issues stay round England’s defence going into the event, and it was put to Pickford that the backline was being billed in some quarters as a weak hyperlink, a declare he refuted.

‘Everyone seems to be right here as a result of they’ve had a superb season for his or her membership and everybody has performed for England earlier than,’ he stated. ‘Everyone knows one another’s strengths – what we’re good at and what we’d like.

‘You say “defence”, it begins from the centre-forward all the best way again. We have to work as a unit. I might say that’s the key issue, working as a unit, as an alternative of speaking in regards to the again 4 and the keeper.’

Pickford additionally believes the backbone of England’s crew – himself, John Stones, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane – would be the envy of their Euros rivals.

‘It’s not too dangerous, is it?’ he stated. ‘In the event you look, Stonesy received the Champions League, the treble final 12 months and received the Premier League 4 instances in a row. Jude’s received the Champions League this 12 months. Harry Kane scores targets for enjoyable, England’s report goalscorer, and Declan has had a incredible season at Arsenal. 

‘So, the backbone is essential, but it surely’s greater than the backbone, it’s about the entire crew and everyone seems to be working collectively to be at our greatest.’