Jordan Pickford column: Everton ready for Bournemouth after challenging start

Sport360 staff 22:55 22/09/2017
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  • After a challenging couple of weeks which saw us face some of the leading contenders for the Premier League title, Wednesday night’s 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over my former club Sunderland provided some home comfort ahead of this weekend’s league game with Bournemouth at Goodison Park.

    Wednesday’s cup tie was the first of four successive home games so to score three goals and keep a clean sheet was a welcome confidence boost for the whole squad.

    When the fixtures came out in the summer, we knew it was always going to be a tough first few games in our Premier League season.

    We then took four points from the first two matches (we beat Stoke 1-0 on the opening day and drew 1-1 at Manchester City), which we were pleased with. We could even have won at City, but on the night they kept coming at us and eventually grabbed an equaliser. Before the game, though, if you had offered us a draw away at the Etihad, it would have been considered a very good point. And in light of City’s recent results, it now looks an even better point.

    After that, we then had a little dip in form, but we are now in the middle of a sequence of home matches at Goodison Park and we are approaching them with the belief that we can put together a run of wins, especially coming off the back of a positive result on Wednesday night.

    I have played at Goodison a few times now and I already believe I have built up a strong relationship with our supporters. I have found Everton to be like Sunderland, from the point of view that it is a family-orientated club with a huge fanbase and a passionate following. I think I have already won the fans over but now I need to keep performing and making important saves at the right times, to keep showing people what I can do.

    In terms of this weekend and the test we face, Eddie Howe has put together a hard-working Bournemouth side and they will come to Goodison with a game plan, so we will have to be on our toes and ready for the challenge. I know their striker Jermain Defoe from my Sunderland days and I am well aware of what he can produce. Jermain is a proven goalscorer and we will have to keep him quiet. He scored plenty past me in training last season but I am determined that will not be the case this weekend.

    After Bournemouth, we then have a Europa League group match against Apollon Limassol, followed by another home Premier League match against Burnley. We have a great opportunity to build some real momentum now and show what we are capable of before going into the next international break.

    I was called up to the England squad in the last break but unfortunately I had to withdraw due to a minor injury. To get my chance with England again, first I have to keep working hard on the training pitch, putting in performances for Everton and getting those clean sheets, then hopefully I will get the nod from Gareth Southgate.

    The competition for the goalkeeping positions in the squad is really intense at the moment. Personally, I think Joe Hart is a great goalkeeper and someone I looked up to when I was younger with the pathway he took to get to where he has. I think he still deserves to keep the shirt and that is why the keepers below him – and hopefully I am one of them – have to keep pushing hard to be in a successful England team.

    But, as I say, my main focus is performing well for Everton, then hopefully the rest will follow. It has been a whirlwind first couple of months – playing as many games as I have for a new club, being in a hotel for so long and then finally getting settled into my new house. It has been a huge change, but a really positive one. I have really enjoyed the start to my Goodison career and I plan to be here for a long time.

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