England's new goalkeeping hero Pickford on how he was lined up to TAKE a penalty

After the most exhilarating night in his young life and, indeed, the recent history of English football, we might have expected Jordan Pickford to be crawling the walls and running on adrenaline.

He had saved brilliantly to deny Colombia’s Carlos Bacca and seal England’s first ever World Cup penalty shootout win, yet as the country went completely potty, the Everton goalkeeper’s night was disarmingly routine.

He did not lie in bed reading the internet praise and watching back videos of that crucial save. As mum Sue and girlfriend Megan waited with hordes of family and friends to embrace him, Pickford was even unable to see his loved ones.

‘It was actually all relaxed after the game,’ Pickford recalls. ‘I was up for drug-testing, so I couldn’t even go and see my parents and my missus! Then we flew straight back to the base camp.

‘I went straight to sleep. I have only seen it back once or twice. I am not lying there watching it. It’s nice to look at but it’s about looking forward, getting on to the next victory. My phone went completely nuts, though. Ridiculous. My Instagram followers have gone up though!’

Pickford lets out a grin. For the 24-year-old England No 1, this has been a life-changing summer. He saw the mighty TV viewing figures and the videos of beer flying through the air in fan parks, from his native North East in Sunderland to the South East in Croydon. In the half-hour Sportsmail spends in his company, his new life emerges as one of posing for selfies with children, sending happy birthday video messages and reliving the mighty summer of 2018.

Taking the long and lonely walk from the halfway line to the goal for the shootout, Pickford shunned memories of past England failures. ‘The truth is I get more nervous doing interviews like this! Football doesn’t bother me. I just enjoy it. It’s when you have to go to clubs and sing and do initiations and all that stuff. That’s when I get nervous.

‘I felt ready. We had done our homework. Every penalty I had the same routine and I did it exactly how I wanted to do it. I felt very relaxed and felt like I could make it happen for the country. I would think there is less pressure on the goalkeeper than the taker. But I was quite high up in the queue to take one. I would be confident. I know exactly where I would go... but I’m not telling you!’

‘The reaction was amazing. We did our bit and put smiles on people’s faces. That’s what international football should be about. I want to play for England for as long as I can. There is no better feeling. The gaffer believed in me. But you only get one chance in football. I had to grasp it.’

It should be remembered that Pickford had only three caps before the World Cup. During his first England meet-up a year earlier, captain Wayne Rooney sent a photograph of Pickford to the goalkeeper’s former Sunderland team-mate George Honeyman with the caption: ‘He hasn’t said a word!’

Pickford smiles as he recalls: ‘It’s going to be daunting, isn’t it? Going on the England bus for the first time as a young lad, sat next to the top goalscorer in English history and the captain at the time. Who wouldn’t be nervous?

‘I was sat opposite him and Jordan Henderson. Wayne was an amazing person to learn from. He always had time to pass on his insight and he texted me during the World Cup with support.

Rooney was not the only senior England international to get in touch. Joe Hart sent him good- luck messages, even after he had learned he would not be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad.

There was scepticism over Southgate’s choice to place his faith in Pickford. After straight-forward matches against Tunisia and Panama, the spotlight burned more brightly on the goalkeeper when he conceded a goal against Belgium, as Adnan Januzaj’s curling effort eluded his grasp.

Gary Neville said on ITV: ‘The goalkeeping’s a bit strange. He goes with his wrong hand. His feet are up in the air.’ Lee Dixon backed Neville’s view. Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois then said a taller goalkeeper would have stopped the strike.

Pickford smirks. ‘My mental side of the game is really strong. It doesn’t affect me. Anyone can slate me if they want to. I know if I have played well or badly. I always ask my dad and he tells me straight. Other people don’t affect me. It’s just about me becoming better. I still call my old goalkeeper coach, Mark Prudhoe at Sunderland, and he’s very honest with me.

‘On Adnan’s goal, it’s instinct. You have a split second. It’s like boxing. If you go with a left hook, he might come over the top and surprise you with a right hook. My reactions are good. It was such a small margin and if I had saved it, everyone would have been saying, “What a worldy save!” People will criticise me because I am on the top stage. But that’s where I want to be. It was an unbelievable effort by Adnan... it’s just a pity he couldn’t do that when he was at Sunderland!’

The criticism stirred Pickford. From there, his performances became more dominant and eye-catching with every knockout fixture. Against Colombia, he also made an astonishing fingertip save seconds before the South American side drew level. There was then a collection of stops against Sweden in the quarter-final and he made an outstanding save at the feet of Mario Mandzukic in extra time against Croatia.

‘I spread myself really well for that Croatia one,’ he says. ‘I grew up watching Peter Schmeichel videos, so there may have been some of that there. As a Sunderland fan, I loved Tommy Sorensen. I watched football but I was a kid who really preferred being out on the street with my mates playing hide and seek! That’s me — a bit daft! I was out playing football every day on the Tarmac, diving to make saves.

‘As a keeper, you need every tool in the box. You can be technically great but it’s all about keeping the ball out the net. You need guts. Mark at Sunderland used to say the job is keeping it out, however scruffy or technically perfect it may be.’

Pickford partly appeals to managers due to his versatility. He adapted to Sam Allardyce’s more traditional expectations of a goalkeeper with the same poise he demonstrated in Southgate’s progressive system.

His calmness on the ball set the tone and he, like England’s centre backs, retained ice-cool detachment on the ball, even as pressure mounted. New Everton manager Marco Silva will likely have a similar approach.

‘You have to adapt,’ Pickford says. ‘Growing up at Sunderland, I was always involved in possession and outfield work. Under Big Sam, I could kick it for miles if he wanted me to kick it long. He also taught me about game management.

‘I have played nearly 200 league games — I have more experience than most people think. The lower leagues were such a help for me — I had loans at places like Alfreton and Darlington. I was taken out of my comfort zone, being battered by strikers at corners.

‘I loved those Saturday 3pm games, hearing every word from the terraces. It was more brutal than the Premier League because you heard every last word people said about you — in big stadiums it’s just noise.’

Pickford’s form has triggered speculation of a move, with Chelsea reportedly interested. But his focus is on Everton, where he returned from holiday on Friday and is targeting a top-six finish.

He says: ‘I just chilled out and went to Greece with my missus. The season is just round the corner so I have cut my holiday short. Manager Marco Silva texted me a few times in the World Cup and I’ve spoken to our new goalkeeping coach. I feel fresh and I want to improve.’

For Everton and England, that can only be good news.