Next up in our 2026-27 Season Preview series is the goalkeeper position, where Jordan Pickford has had little to no competition in for close to a decade.
Everton’s starting goalkeeper position has been so secure for so long it is easy to take it for granted.
Next year will make it a decade in royal blue for Jordan Pickford, a time where he has reigned supreme between the sticks for the Toffees.
Without him Everton would almost certainly have been relegated during the gloom years of 2021-2024. The 32-year-old
has also had ample chance to seek pastures new but remains settled in the north west and has no desire to move.
I think it is fair to say Pickford had an up and down season last year, mirroring the team in many respects. Opposition sides exploited his reluctance to stray far from his line from crosses and corners, most notably in the Merseyside Derby and that awful 4-1 hammering at home to Newcastle, where he also let an effort slip from his grasp.
It shows how high his standards are that a handful of below-par moments stand out. But he also displayed moments of pure brilliance, the most spectacular being the second meeting with Newcastle at St James’ Park when he tipped a thunderous Sandro Tonali volley onto the bar in the final seconds to preserve a lead.
He heads into the new season after helping England reach the World Cup semi-finals. Pundits and critics continually seek to find a replacement for Pickford as England number one. They seized on a minor misjudgement in the DR Congo game as evidence of decline, only for him to turn in one of his finest England performances in the last-16 win over Mexico. He went on to break Peter Shilton’s record for most World Cup performances for England – 19 and counting. The semi-final defeat to Argentina was also his 91st cap, with a century likely to arrive within the next 12 months.
With Pickford’s position secure Mark Travers knows he will only make fleeting appearances bar injury. The Ireland international played just twice in the Carabao Cup last season, the second of those being the poor defeat to Wolves.
The 27-year-old played in most of Everton’s pre-season games because of Pickford’s extended break post-World Cup. He has been linked with a move away if he wants to secure first-team football.
Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has been linked with a move in response, while Norway international Orjan Nyland was a reported target before rejoining RB Leipzig. Any goalkeeping reshuffle is like to take place late in the window.
Third choice goalkeeper is once again going to be Tom King. The 31-year-old one-cap Wales international has not made a senior appearance since joining on a free transfer last year, having played just once during two years at Wolves. His role is very much to help Pickford prepare before matches and on the training ground. It presumably a role he is happy with, but with one year left on his deal it remains to be seen whether he will extend his stay.
