England News: Pope, Henderson And Ramsdale Jockey For Pickford's Position

Gareth Southgate will use this international break to assess his goalkeeping options
13:00, 23 Sep 2022

England head into their upcoming international fixtures without Jordan Pickford. The Everton shot-stopper has established himself as Gareth Southgate’s first choice between the sticks, but has missed out this time due to a thigh injury. This affords the manager a rare opportunity to have a thorough look at his goalkeeping options. With Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson jockeying for position, The Sportsman takes a look at what this could mean for England moving forward.

The goalkeeper position is one in which the Three Lions are blessed with depth. The three men in the current squad are all first choice for their clubs. Pickford, Pope and Ramsdale had seemed like the obvious World Cup trio given Henderson’s struggles for game time at Manchester United. But with the former Sheffield United loanee spending this season at Nottingham Forest, Southgate has another credible choice who is staying sharp with frequent club games.

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At the close of the 2020-21 season, Henderson actually looked set for a very real battle for Pickford’s number one jersey. Breaking through at Old Trafford and seemingly taking David De Gea’s place as United’s undisputed starter, Henderson was the toast of the town. But bad luck with injuries and then a battle with Covid-19 robbed him of a chance to kick on. His struggles to secure a loan away from the club during their troubled 2021-22 campaign further blunted his chance to add to the one cap he won in 2020.

Henderson probably has the biggest mountain to climb of the three goalkeepers seemingly in contention. He is plying his trade in a recently-promoted Forest side that have taken to the top flight like a duck to cement. While playing for a side shipping lots of chances can offer an opportunity to shine for a custodian, it can also drag them into the mire. 

One goalkeeper with experience of this reputational funk is Aaron Ramsdale. Arsenal were chastised for signing a goalkeeper with two relegations on his CV when he swapped Bournemouth for the Emirates. Instead, Ramsdale has been a central part of Arsenal’s revival. Taking the number-one spot from the talented Bernd Leno, the Gunners have scarcely had reason to doubt him since.

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Ramsdale proving himself at a big club has seen him rewarded with three caps so far. He’ll want more, especially when you appreciate what ex-Gunner David Seaman did in an England shirt. At the age of 24, Ramsdale has youth on his side. But at the same time, his performances have been enough to earn more opportunities to impress Southgate.

It is a testament to the trust people have in Nick Pope that the stench of relegation last season with Burnley hasn’t hung around him. Pope was still seen as a major coup and an important building block for the nouveau riche Newcastle United this summer. The most capped goalkeeper in the squad for these fixtures, the fact he only has eight appearances for England shows just how much faith Southgate has in Pickford.

Pope also offers experience of a World Cup, having been an unused member of the 2018 squad. The mental aspect of the tournament has been cited as a deciding factor in the past, with the training and even the use of players' downtime as much a component in success as the games. The fact Pope has lived experience at the tournament will certainly be an asset should he travel to Qatar this winter.

Sam Johnstone is another stopper who may enter Southgate’s thinking. While he has not played for his country since October 2021, he has featured in two squads since. If three of Pickford, Henderson, Pope and Ramsdale are fit though they look the likeliest to go to Qatar. What is still to be determined is the hierarchy. While Pickford’s position is not under threat, there’s three talented goalkeepers who can make a tremendous case over the coming days.

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