Jordan Pickford: From a career low that led to death threats to play for England at Euro 2020 | UK News

Jordan Pickford has been one of England’s star players at Euro 2020 – and he has the chance to become a national hero on Sunday if the final ends in a frightening penalty shootout.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper is already certain to win the Golden Gloves award in the tournament after getting the cleanest sheets with five in a row.

It’s a remarkable turnaround for a player whose struggles at Everton last season saw him briefly abandoned in November, when he was reportedly subjected to death threats following a controversial challenge against Virgil van Dijk from Liverpool.

So what do we know about the Three Lions goalscorer who hopes to cement his place in English football history by helping the national team win their first major trophy in 55 years?

While fans and pundits have praised Pickford’s performance at the Euro, he arguably faced the lowest point of his career just a few months ago.

Pickford’s reckless tackle on van Dijk in the Merseyside derby in October 2020 left the Dutch defender in need of knee surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the season and seriously damaging Liverpool’s attempt to retain the title of the Premier League.

Referee Michael Oliver later admitted he made a mistake in not sending Pickford off and the Everton player apologized to van Dijk – but the backlash was severe.

After the match, Merseyside Police said they were investigating abusive social media posts targeting Pickford and it was reported that he and his family were being protected by bodyguards after receiving death threats.

With questions regarding his form after a string of goalkeeper mistakes, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti left Pickford out of his starting lineup against Newcastle in November 2020.