Jordan Pickford has called on his England team-mates to embrace the pressure of being one of the pre-tournament favourites for the European Championship.
The Everton shot-stopper has been Gareth Southgate’s first-choice goalkeeper while England have competed in the last three major tournaments.
They reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup but failed beat Croatia, lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties, and advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were defeated against France.
There is anticipation around England’s squad, which boasts key players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, but Pickford has emphasised that Southgate’s side needs to “enjoy” the pressure in order to establish themselves as a top team.
He said: “Apart from Russia in 2018, where there was no pressure on us. But to be a top team, an elite team, you have got to have that pressure and deal with it in the right manner. To be one of the favourites, you’ve got to enjoy that pressure.”
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England will start their campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday. Their group also includes Denmark and Slovenia.
Pickford has urged caution against complacency, saying England “will not look too far ahead” and get carried away in Germany.
“That is our goal (to win the tournament). But the most important thing for us is to win the first game, get out of the group and take each game as it comes,” he added.
“You can’t look too far ahead but everyone’s goal is to lift that trophy and it takes a hell of a lot of hard work to get there. There will be nothing more proud for me to lift that trophy and bring it home for the fans, but there is so much hard work to be done first and you can’t look too far ahead.
“I know all the England fans will be rooting for us, they are passionate, and everyone in the country will be rooting for us. I know they’ll be having a good few days on the booze, so that will be good!”
(Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
