Darren Bent unconvinced with Jordan Pickford’s role as England number one
Former Premier League star Darren Bent has said that he has not been entirely convinced with Jordan Pickford as England’s number one. The 26-year-old has been the Three Lions’ first-choice goalkeeper since November 2017 and over the past two-and-a-half years, he has earned 24 caps under Gareth Southgate.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Bent said that he has no question marks over the goalkeeper’s pedigree but insists that the former Sunderland man has struggled for Everton this term. He added that Pickford should benefit from the postponement of the European Championships to 2021 as that would provide him with more time to re-evaluate himself.
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However, that has not been the case with the Toffees struggling for consistency and a four-match losing streak before the international break sees them in the drop zone with just seven points on the board. There have already been calls from the fans for a change in the head coach and Bent believes that could become a possibility, should there be no improvement in the coming months.
Speaking in a press conference, Lampard said that he had no clear expectations for the young marksman but always had the trust that the 21-year-old could make the difference, he told: “I never had clear expectations for him, only the fact that I believed in him and trusted in him. I know a lot has been made about the ban giving young players opportunities but I felt the time was right for Tammy to have his opportunity at this club anyway, because of the quality he has got. I’m really delighted that he has got his goals. I think there’s even more to come. He’s in a good place, a place that just requires him to sustain and improve even more and I think with his mentality and the way he is every day I hope to see that.”
Thereafter, the transfer went smoothly with the extension which was applied with the Premier League and Iwobi is now looking forward to making a name for himself with the Toffees, he said: “I spoke to the manager and Marcel [Brands] and they almost lured me in. The offer was too attractive for me to turn down. The manager was telling me, ‘There is a spot for you, we will take care of you’. Basically, all the things you want to hear as a player. I always had that youngster tag at Arsenal, so hopefully with this move I am able to make a name for myself in the Premier League and create history with Everton.” 
However, he managed to prove his critics wrong with an impressive tally of 14 goals for the Toffees last term and he was mostly recently part of Brazil’s Copa America-winning side. Speaking to the club’s official website, Silva acknowledged that it was not an easy deal in terms of signing the attacker, considering the Toffees had to pay an initial £35m fee to the Hornets.
In a press conference, Gueye was asked about the recent speculation linking him with Les Parisiens and his response was neutral with the focus on winning the African Cup of Nations with Senegal, he said:“I am focused on my competition. I did not read L’Equipe but they told me about it. I am fully focused on my competition. We’ll have time to talk about it again if it’s still there. I cannot talk about it here. Once again, I am focused on my competition.”