Jordan Pickford reaction sadly predictable but fact remains about Everton goalkeeper

When you’re a goalkeeper, one mistake leading to a goal every 60 games is a ratio we’d all take. But the pile-on following the error from Everton’s Jordan Pickford when playing for England against Belgium was sadly all too predictable.

This correspondent has always been one of Pickford’s most-vocal defenders but make no bones about it, this was a howler and it’s folly to attempt to defend the indefensible. Perhaps it was some kind of familiarity or muscle memory but the Blues custodian looked up at Wembley and played a perfect pass to club colleague Amadou Onana – who of course was in opposition on this occasion – and the Everton midfielder picked out Youri Tielemans who guided the ball into the net with a finish into the corner.

Opta confirmed that it was Pickford’s first mistake that had led to a goal in 60 England appearances but that didn’t stop the haters from hating with tweets they’d seemingly been itching to pull the trigger on after years of stewing. As discussed on the ECHO’s Royal Blue podcast less than a week ago, Paul Wheelock described the treatment that Pickford receives from certain sections as being “close to bullying”, while he is also subject to baseless body shaming and in an era dogged by ‘fake news’ and distortions of the truth, this one mistake opened the gates of hell when it came to opportunity knocking for those who for some reason like to peddle a false narrative about England’s number one.

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The fact is Pickford is very much that and has been undisputed in this mantle for over six years now since he kept a clean sheet on his