Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has welcomed the competition from Arsenal shot stopper Aaron Ramsdale for the first choice goalkeeper slot in the Three Lions of England squad.
The Everton star was speaking ahead of the crucial World Cup 2022 qualifying clash with Albania. According to him, competition for the starting berth will bring out the best in the competitors. The Everton goal minder went on to describe Ramsdale as a great lad.
Arsenal goalkeeper Ramsdale is still uncapped for the England national team, but his impressive performances for the Gunners have heightened calls for him to replace Pickford as the number one man in between the sticks for the Three Lions.
Ramsdale got the first taste of the Three Lions of England squad as an emergency addition to the Euro 2020 squad in the summer. He was named in the final 26-man squad as the replacement for Manchester United shot stopper Dean Henderson who had to pull out because of a hip injury. Everton man Pickford was the undisputed first choice goalkeeper as England went all the way to the final before they lost the title to Italy via penalties. Pickford has been the first choice England goalkeeper since 2018.
Arsenal had not signed Ramsdale at Euro 2020 as he was still a Sheffield United player. He was one of the few England players who didn’t feature at all during the tournament. The ex-Bournemouth man has now been part of the England squad for two international windows.
The Gunners paid an initial fee of £24m to sign Ramsdale from Sheffield United with add-ons worth £6m to possibly take the whole deal to the £30m and he has been a revelation since then. He was recently named the best Arsenal player for the month of October. In addition, the goalkeeper was nominated for the Premier League Player Award for the same month.