Jordan Pickford is a key figure in England s run to the World Cup semi-finals according to former Three Lions boss Fabio Capello, who said the team finally discovered a goalkeeper who can make saves .
Pickford only made his full England debut in November 2017, just seven months before the World Cup in Russia, but he made crucial saves in the team s round-of-16 penalty shoot-out victory over Colombia.
The Everton shot-stopper had another solid performance in England s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Sweden, keeping his first clean sheet of the tournament, and Capello praised the 24-year-old s positioning and reactions.
Capello, who managed England to 28 victories and six defeats between 2008 and 2012, told Gazzetta dello Sport that Gareth Southgate s side have got some fast guys and a great manager .
Which way to Moscow, boss?
The are back on the training field right now.
— England (@England)
Southgate has realised that with two central defenders they would have gone home, so he s put three in there and he s finally discovered a goalkeeper who can make saves, he continued.
He s got an array of talented players, but he had the intuition of putting [Harry] Maguire at the heart of the three-man defence, he chose Pickford and he has managed the tension levels.
Pickford has a feel for the position and is reactive.
Looking ahead to England s semi-final clash with Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium, Capello backed his former employers to prevail.
He also claimed Southgate s side are capable of beating France, should they win their semi-final against Belgium, saying: It s going to be France-England, and in that case I would pick England as favourites.
