World Cup 2026
‘I’ll step up’ – Jordan Pickford vows to take a penalty for England if needed at World Cup
‘I’ll step up’ – Jordan Pickford vows to take a penalty for England if needed at World Cup
Jordan Pickford has never been shy when the pressure is at its highest, and the England goalkeeper has now revealed he would happily take a penalty himself if the Three Lions require one during the 2026 World Cup.
Already renowned for his shootout heroics in major tournaments, the Everton star is preparing to contribute at both ends of the pitch as England continue their preparations for this summer’s competition in North America.
Pickford ready for any responsibility
The England No.1 is currently training with Thomas Tuchel’s squad in Florida ahead of warm-up fixtures against New Zealand and Costa Rica.
While much of his work naturally focuses on goalkeeping duties, Pickford has also been sharpening his penalty-taking skills and insists he would welcome the responsibility should England find themselves in another dramatic shootout.
Asked whether he would be prepared to take a penalty at the World Cup, Pickford responded confidently: “Yes. I’d back myself 100 per cent. I’ll put the practice in and execute it.”
The 32-year-old’s self-belief comes as no surprise given his track record under pressure for club and country.
A proven shootout specialist
Pickford has built a reputation as one of international football’s most reliable penalty-saving goalkeepers.
He played a pivotal role in England’s shootout victories at the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, producing several memorable saves that helped the Three Lions progress deep into major tournaments.
His confidence from the penalty spot is not without foundation either.
During the 2019 Nations League finals, Pickford successfully converted a penalty against Switzerland, demonstrating he is more than comfortable stepping up when required.
That experience has only strengthened his belief that he could contribute if England face another high-pressure knockout scenario this summer.
Balancing saving and scoring
Despite his willingness to take penalties, Pickford remains fully focused on his primary role.
The goalkeeper acknowledged that striking the balance between preparing to save penalties and taking them is an important part of his tournament preparation.
“I want to focus on the saving as well,” he explained. “So there is a balance. If called upon, I play for England, I represent the country, so I’ll step up and take it when needs be.”
He added: “I’m keeping that work close to my chest. We’ll probably start implementing that a little bit, soon.”
England’s recent tournament history suggests those preparations could prove valuable, with penalty shootouts becoming an increasingly common feature of knockout football.
Southgate’s faith already established
Pickford’s confidence is shared by those who have previously worked with him in the England setup.
Former manager Gareth Southgate revealed several years ago that the goalkeeper had already earned recognition as one of the squad’s stronger penalty takers.
Following Pickford’s successful spot-kick against Switzerland in the Nations League, Southgate explained: “With the players that were left on the pitch, he was one of the leading penalty takers and he executed it as well as he could.”
The former England boss even admitted that Pickford was considered a viable option during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
“We weren’t against Jordan taking a penalty at the World Cup in Russia,” Southgate said. “A few others had probably shown a better level but he would be among our better penalty takers.”
With England once again dreaming of ending decades of World Cup disappointment, Pickford appears ready to embrace any role necessary — whether that’s producing crucial saves or calmly finding the net himself when the pressure reaches its peak.
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