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Jordan Pickford has announced that he is fully prepared to take a penalty for England if the situation demands it during the upcoming World Cup. The Everton shot-stopper is combining his regular goalkeeping preparations with extra penalty practice as the Three Lions fine-tune their plans for the tournament in the United States. Pickford has expressed his determination to make an impact both as a goalkeeper and, if needed, as a penalty taker.

The Everton goalkeeper confirmed that he would not hesitate to volunteer for penalty duty should England find themselves in a shootout. Currently training with the England squad in Florida ahead of their warm-up fixtures against New Zealand and Costa Rica, Pickford has also been sharpening his finishing skills alongside his goalkeeping drills.

At 32, Pickford already holds a strong track record in penalty situations. He produced vital saves for England in shootouts at the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020, and Euro 2024. Notably, he also converted a penalty against Switzerland during the 2019 UEFA Nations League finals.

When asked about his willingness to step up from the spot at the World Cup, Pickford made his confidence clear. He said, “Yes. I’d back myself 100 per cent. I’ll put the practice in and execute it.”

While emphasising that his main focus remains on defending England’s goal, Pickford stated he is ready to contribute in any way needed during a high-pressure knockout scenario. “I want to focus on the saving as well,” he explained. “So there is a balance. If called upon, I play for England, I represent the country, so I’ll step up and take it when needs be. I’m keeping that work close to my chest. We’ll probably start implementing that a little bit, soon.”

Pickford’s confidence from the penalty spot has long been acknowledged by the England coaching staff. Former manager Gareth Southgate once praised the goalkeeper’s composure after his successful penalty conversion against Switzerland in the Nations League. Southgate had remarked, “With the players that were left on the pitch, he was one of the leading penalty takers and he executed it as well as he could. We weren’t against Jordan taking a penalty at the World Cup in Russia. A few others had probably shown a better level but he would be among our better penalty takers. You feel more nervous putting a goalkeeper on a penalty but he was there on merit.”

England touched down in the United States on Monday to begin the final phase of their World Cup preparations. Their upcoming friendly matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica will serve as valuable opportunities to fine-tune their strategies before the tournament officially begins.

The Three Lions will kick off their Group L campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, followed by matches against Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27 as they look to make a strong start to their World Cup journey.