Pickford embraces Trafford rivalry as Tuchel confirms England No.1 status ahead of Nations League return

Jordan Pickford will return to England’s starting lineup for their next two Nations League fixtures after Thomas Tuchel confirmed the Everton goalkeeper remains his first choice, despite James Trafford starting the opening two games of the competition.

Pickford, 32, has been England’s undisputed No.1 since his international debut in 2017, but found himself watching from the sidelines as Trafford took the gloves for the recent Nations League matches — a spell that also followed Dean Henderson’s start in the World Cup third-place play-off. The run of three consecutive absences marks genuinely new territory for a goalkeeper who has otherwise been a fixture in the England setup for nearly a decade.

Tuchel addressed the situation directly with Pickford the night before England’s game against Spain, framing Trafford’s appearances as an opportunity to give the younger keeper experience in a new competition rather than a signal of a change in hierarchy. Pickford said the explanation landed well: “He said it was a new competition, to also give Traff a couple of games. It was fine by me and it was like, ‘Right, now it’s time I need to go again’.”

Far from being unsettled, Pickford described the competition as a positive force. “I’ve always said I’ve had good competition since I made my debut in 2017,” he said. “It’s about me improving, keep going, keep striving. I love nothing more than having competition.”

Pickford also addressed the Enzo Fernández goal that ended England’s World Cup campaign in the semi-final — a long-range strike that has continued to draw scrutiny. “I tried to scan for the ball. There were a lot of bodies in front. He’s got a free touch and shot. It just went away from me,” he said. “There’s always going to be people asking the questions, but I think if you’re not a goalkeeping expert then you won’t know what you’re talking about.”

The goalkeeper revealed he spent three hours on a Zoom call with his sports psychologist as part of his ongoing preparation, describing the session as “grafting” to sharpen his game further — a detail that speaks to the seriousness with which he approaches both performance and self-reflection.

Pickford’s broader World Cup tournament drew some quiet questions beyond the Fernández moment, with suggestions that peak form might have kept out goals against DR Congo, Norway, and Croatia — though none were classified as outright errors. Whether that scrutiny has added edge to his desire to reassert himself is something Pickford left little doubt about: “I always want to be No.1.”