Jordan Pickford’s nine-year run as England’s undisputed No. 1 goalkeeper should come to an end, according to a growing chorus of pundits in the wake of the Three Lions’ painful World Cup semifinal exit against Argentina.
The debate erupted on talkSPORT’s Kick Off program Thursday, with the panel largely agreeing that England needs a change between the posts heading toward Euro 2028, even as they acknowledged Pickford’s substantial contributions to the national team over nearly a decade at the top of the goalkeeping pecking order.
Pickford, 32, has made 91 appearances for England since debuting in November 2017, becoming a mainstay through three World Cups and two European Championships. His tenure has produced some of the country’s most memorable moments in major tournament football, including a crucial penalty save against Colombia’s Carlos Bacca at the 2018 World Cup that helped England secure its first-ever penalty shootout win at the tournament, and two saves in the Euro 2020 final shootout against Italy at Wembley, though England ultimately lost that match on penalties. He also denied Manuel Akanji in a quarterfinal shootout win over Switzerland at Euro 2024, and this summer broke the record for the most World Cup appearances by an England goalkeeper, with 18 caps across the tournament.
Despite that résumé, former England international Dean Ashton opened the discussion on Kick Off by suggesting the time had come for a new goalkeeper to take over the position heading into the next European Championship. “Pickford might be there, but it’s probably time for somebody to come and step in,” Ashton said.
Fellow panelist Rory Jennings went further, arguing that Pickford’s international career should be considered finished entirely. “I think Jordan Pickford shouldn’t play for England again. I think it’s over,” Jennings said. He pushed back on what he characterized as a common misconception that Pickford has never made a costly mistake in an England shirt, pointing specifically to Wednesday’s semifinal defeat to Argentina, in which Pickford was unable to stop a long-range effort from Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute that helped complete Argentina’s dramatic comeback. Jennings noted that midfielder Jude Bellingham appeared visibly stunned as the ball crossed the line, suggesting even Pickford’s own teammates were surprised by the goalkeeper’s inability to keep the shot out.
Jennings, a self-described Chelsea supporter, was blunt in his overall assessment of Pickford’s ceiling as a goalkeeper, arguing that the lack of transfer interest from bigger clubs throughout his career reflected a broader truth about his level. He described Pickford as an “all-right Premier League goalkeeper” and said England needs someone better as it looks toward the future.
Not every voice on the panel framed Fernández’s goal purely as a technical error. Former England goalkeeper Ben Foster agreed that Pickford should have done better on the shot but attributed part of the issue to Pickford’s physical stature rather than a lapse in technique. Foster explained that Pickford, listed at 6-foot-1, lacks the imposing height of some of the tournament’s other elite goalkeepers, contrasting him with Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez, who stands 6-foot-6. According to Foster, Pickford’s positioning and the timing of his glance toward the ball as it traveled around defender John Stones left him unable to react in time, a sequence he suggested a taller goalkeeper might have handled differently. Foster rated Pickford’s overall tournament performance at roughly a 6 out of 10, praising a strong showing in England’s round-of-16 win over Mexico but noting shakier moments in matches against DR Congo and Norway.
With the position potentially open heading into the next major tournament cycle, England manager Thomas Tuchel has several options to consider. Dean Henderson, who has five England caps and was part of this summer’s squad following a strong season with Crystal Palace, represents one alternative. Aaron Ramsdale, who has represented major clubs including Arsenal and Newcastle over his career and earned five caps of his own, could also factor into the conversation despite missing out on selection for the current squad.
The goalkeeper most frequently mentioned as Pickford’s eventual successor, however, is James Trafford, who currently has just two England caps and is fighting for regular playing time behind Gianluigi Donnarumma at his club. Asked directly who should take over from Pickford, Jennings named Trafford as his choice. “I think at the moment it would be James Trafford,” Jennings said, adding that he hoped Trafford would earn a bigger opportunity at Manchester City and continue developing into the goalkeeper he believes he can become.
For now, Pickford remains part of England’s squad as the tournament winds down. He is set for a possible 19th World Cup appearance Saturday, when England faces France in the third-place playoff match in Miami, with kickoff scheduled for 10 p.m. local time.
Wednesday’s semifinal defeat marked another agonizing near-miss for England, which came within minutes of reaching the World Cup final before Argentina scored twice in the closing stages to complete a 2-1 comeback victory. The result extended England’s wait for a first World Cup final appearance since 1966, a drought that has now spanned three consecutive tournaments in which the team reached at least the quarterfinal stage without ultimately breaking through.
Whether Tuchel shares the panel’s view on Pickford’s future remains to be seen, and no official decision on the national team’s long-term goalkeeping plans has been announced. But with growing public debate over whether Pickford’s near decade-long hold on the position should continue, the coming months are likely to bring further scrutiny over who wears the gloves for England as the team begins looking ahead to Euro 2028.
