Everton’s relationship with the England national team has been somewhat fractured over the years, given how often their star assets have so often been snubbed.
However, interest has inarguably been renewed with the continued presence of Jordan Pickford in a position as imperative as goalkeeper.
It is a proud moment to see him pull on the national jersey with regularity, as the undisputed number one now.
That is a notion that has just been reaffirmed by his England teammate Harry Maguire too.
Harry Maguire sends message to Jordan Pickford
It was a shock to many when Gareth Southgate named his finalised England team for the ongoing European Championships and had omitted Maguire.
After all, the 31-year-old has been a mainstay throughout his entire tenure as international manager, despite the scrutiny his faith has often received.
And whilst Evertonians instead directed their fury at the absence of their star centre-back, despite Manchester United’s bid for Jarrad Branthwaite, Maguire’s inability to play is undoubtedly a blow for England.
However, he remains intent on supporting his teammates, and has done so in the form of a comment on Pickford’s recent Instagram post, simply writing: ‘Number 1’.
His claim echoes the sentiment of the Everton faithful, who often sing of his cemented place as England’s number one around Goodison Park.
A future Everton pairing at the back?
Given Harry Maguire has been linked to Everton in the last 12 months, it would not be a surprise to soon see this defensive pairing connected at both club and international level.
And, for the latter, it has certainly proven fruitful across the last few major tournaments, particularly at Euro 2020, where Pickford broke Peter Shilton’s English record for most minutes gone without conceding at a major tournament, 721 minutes.
Not only that, but during the 2018 World Cup too, the centre-back briefly endeared himself to the nation with his thumping header in the quarter-finals against Sweden, as he and John Stones became regular goal threats from corners.
It’s also hard to deny how profitable the Manchester United man would be within Sean Dyche’s system too, with the 6 foot 4 bruiser likely to thrive in their low block backline and with attacking set pieces.
If Branthwaite is intent on trading Old Trafford for Goodison Park, perhaps this could be one move that the Toffees seek to instigate, to reunite Pickford with his compatriot and likely ensure that there is no dramatic drop-off from losing their prized young asset.