England hero Jordan Pickford explains why he took a penalty in Nations League shootout win over Switzerland

Surprise penalty taker: Jordan Pickford stepped up to bury a spot-kick for England against Switzerland
PA
George Flood9 June 2019

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has spoken of his nerves after surprisingly stepping up to take a penalty in the Uefa Nations League on Sunday.

The Everton custodian proved to be the hero in Guimaraes as the Three Lions claimed third place in the inaugural tournament with a dour play-off victory over Switzerland, sealing a 6-5 shootout win by saving Josip Drmic's effort.

That stop came shortly after Pickford had come forward to take a spot-kick of his own, emphatically beating opposite number Yann Sommer with a powerful strike.

Asked why he was chosen to step up, the 25-year-old explained that he took penalties on a regular basis in training and spoke of following in the footsteps of captain Harry Kane, who was substituted in the second half of normal time.

"We practice them when there's a major competition or the Nations League, we practice them consistently," Pickford told Sky Sports.

In Pictures | Switzerland vs England | 09/06/2019

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"I picked my spot and I always seem to be able to get a goal, but I've never taken one in a real game so I was a bit nervous.

"I think we took (off) Harry Kane and some of the other lads who take penalties so I wasn't sure where I was in the pecking order, but it's what you practice for, you practice all the time to make sure you make it easier on the day."

Asked about his penalty technique, Pickford added: "It's all about routine I would say, if you watch the top penalty takers. Harry Kane he's got his own routine, so you've got to create your own routine to make sure everything's done to perfection."

England's win at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques came after a tough week that saw manager Gareth Southgate forced to defend his footballing philosophy after two major errors while playing out from the back led to a disappointing extra-time semi-final defeat by the Netherlands on Thursday.

Pickford, who started both matches in Portugal, was pleased with the resilience shown by his team-mates.

"It was a very tough game and I think our character to get through 120 minutes on Thursday and to have to go through another tough game today, 120 minutes and penalties," he said.

"We showed character and belief again and sometimes it's hard to get up for a game like this but it just shows us where we want to go and how we get better as a team and bounce back.

"We always say 'do what it takes to win a game' and I was a bit nervous taking my pen, but I'm not nervous saving them."

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