Shay Given Questions Silence Surrounding Jordan Pickford's Transfer Status
Shay Given has watched the transfer market long enough to know how it usually works for elite goalkeepers. One big move at the top, and the carousel starts spinning. Names get thrown around, agents get busy, clubs panic.
Jordan Pickford? Nothing.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, the former Newcastle and Manchester City goalkeeper admitted he cannot understand why Everton’s No.1 is rarely mentioned when the summer rumour mill cranks into gear, given the level he has operated at for the best part of a decade.
“Jordan Pickford has been at Everton for nearly 10 years now and he's been England number one for most of that time too and he broke the appearance record for England World Cup games. It is strange that we haven't heard of other clubs moving in for him during that time,” Given said.
That’s the nub of it. A long-term England first-choice, record-breaker at World Cups, still in his prime – yet no constant drumbeat of speculation, no public tug-of-war between Europe’s heavyweights.
Given floated one simple explanation: Pickford might just be settled.
“Maybe he's just really well-settled at Everton. We obviously don't know if there have been bids for Jordan over the years but there's usually a sort of goalkeeper merry-go-round some summers, like how we talk about managers moving on.”
The market has rarely been shy about prising goalkeepers from their comfort zones. From title-chasers looking for an upgrade to Champions League hopefuls searching for stability, clubs tend to circle whenever a proven international is even remotely available. That hasn’t happened with Pickford in any sustained, public way.
Part of the surprise, for Given, is the perception of age. Pickford feels like he has been around forever, a permanent fixture in England squads and Everton survival battles.
“Jordan has been in the game for so long you think he must be 34 or 35 but he's only 32,” Given said. “I moved to Manchester City when I was 33 and goalkeepers in general get better with age as well. He's got many years left at the top level but maybe Jordan is happy where he is. You'd think Chelsea would be on the phone tomorrow and jump at the chance to sign him if he gave them any encouragement.”
That Chelsea reference is telling. Clubs in flux, clubs still searching for a long-term answer in goal, would normally be expected to at least test the water. Pickford’s contract and Everton’s stance are obvious barriers, but from a pure sporting point of view, his profile fits the brief: Premier League hardened, international pedigree, personality big enough for a demanding stage.
Given keeps coming back to the performances that underpin that reputation.
“It does surprise me that we don't see any rumours around him because some of the saves he produces for Everton are just phenomenal,” he said. One moment sticks in his mind: a flying stop to deny Sandro Tonali at St James’ Park last season. “I remember him tipping one over the crossbar from Sandro Tonali at St James' Park last season, it was unbelievable but he has that in his locker.”
That’s the version of Pickford Everton fans know well – the one who lives on the edge, plays on adrenaline, but still delivers when the margins are tightest.
Given’s description of him as a “Steady Eddie” sounds almost understated, but he meant it as the highest praise.
“He's a bit of a 'Steady Eddie', and if you think I'm playing him down by saying that, I'm not. I'm playing him up.
“When you've got a goalkeeper who is that steady, it's a real plus, and he's got a real personality. Some people say it can spill over at times, but it shows his passion and hunger and desire for the team to do well. It's his will to win, you can't coach that or teach it. It's just who he is, and I don't mind that at all.”
That personality has always divided opinion. The gesturing, the roaring, the visible edge – it all feeds into the broader debate around Pickford. Yet for a fellow professional who knows what it takes to survive at the top, those traits are not a problem to be ironed out, but part of the package that keeps him sharp.
So the question lingers. With his CV, his consistency, and years still ahead of him, how much longer can one of England’s most scrutinised goalkeepers remain one of the transfer window’s quietest names?
