Micah Richards has compared Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to former England stopper Joe Hart.
Pickford put in a Man of the Match performance against Chelsea on Sunday in Everton’s 1-0 win and made a string of superb saves to secure a valuable three points. He was his usual vocal and emotive self, bellowing at his defenders and celebrating each save as if it meant everything.
Pickford has often been criticised in the past for his hyperactivity and running on emotion but Richards believes this is a trait that he must not lose and compared him to both Hart and fellow England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. Richards was a former teammate of Hart at Manchester City and England.
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He told BBC Radio Five Live’s Football Daily Podcast: “I don’t think he should lose that, that’s what has gotten him to where he is now. Joe Hart is the same, they get pumped up before the game and I think that when you look in, you think that they’re a bit too much. But when you’re playing well nobody picks at those things. Look at Ramsdale at Arsenal, he celebrates with the fans, and because Arsenal are doing really well everyone accepts that.”
Hart currently plies his trade at Celtic and won 75 caps for England from 2008-2017. He is second on the list of all-time appearance holders for England goalkeepers behind Peter Shilton's 125. Pickford currently has 43 caps. Aged 28 and as Gareth Southgate’s undisputed number one, he will hope to surpass the former City number one’s tally.
