Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Jordan Pickford has signed a four-year contract Contract with everton Due to which their stay on Merseyside can last up to 12 years.
The England goalkeeper said he was “over the moon” and is determined to create a legacy at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
He is focused on qualifying for Europe and ending their long wait for a trophy as he has expressed his ambition to join the same league as the club’s greatest ever goalkeeper, Neville Southall.
Pickford, 31, had two years left on his previous deal but has committed his future to Everton just shy of his 35th birthday.
Having signed for £30 million from Sunderland in 2017, he has won Everton’s Player of the Year award a record four times. he made his 300th Premier League Appearing for the Toffees in a 2–1 win over Crystal Palace, he has played 326 times for them in all competitions and had been in talks about a contract extension for some time.
“I’m happy to get it done,” Pickford said. “It’s an extra two years, so four years in total. I’m very happy and it gives me the opportunity to create a legacy for myself here, to move forward and build this club to where we want to be.
“Everton is a really special club to me. Coming as a young boy from Sunderland and developing as a man here, it’s been a special time for me and my family. I think everyone has seen the change and how I’ve developed over time, but I’m still the guy who likes to put the ball out of the net. It’s Everton that has helped me develop and put in a lot of hard work.
“With the fans and the passion, it’s always felt like a natural fit for me – it’s second to none and something I’m thrilled with. It’s been a great journey so far.”
Pickford has set an England record by keeping clean sheets in nine consecutive international matches, surpassing Gordon Banks’ previous best of seven matches.
He was in great form as he helped Everton avoid relegation, being named Player of the Year in each of the 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24 campaigns.
Now David Moyes’ side sit eighth in the Premier League and have moved into their new £800million stadium, leaving Pickford confident they are on the move.
“I think the bad days are behind us and now it’s about building on that momentum as a team and club,” he said. “I think that’s the whole point really. The new owners have come in and shown they want to push us forward, the manager since coming in has shown that too, and we are on the pitch as players.
“The manager wanted us to continue our form [from the second half of last season] In this and that he will keep pushing us.
“We’ve made a good start and we want to keep that momentum going and get Everton Football Club back to being a team that competes in Europe. We know it’s hard to do but it’s a journey we want to go on and it’s hard work we’ll do as a club. We want to go in that direction and, hopefully, one day we’ll lift some silverware as well.”
Southall holds the Everton record with 751 appearances, while Pickford’s new deal looks set to see him climb the leaderboard, with Leon Osman and Dixie Dean joint 10th with 433 games for the club.
Pickford, who has won all 80 of his caps for England since joining Everton, is excited by his longevity with the club.
“It’s great,” he said. “It shows my commitment to Everton and also the confidence the club has placed in me. I want to continue building on that legacy.
“Southall is great at Everton and when my time comes to an end I don’t want to be far behind him, if not in front of him.”