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18 May, 2025
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Jordan Pickford recalls his favourite Goodison Park memories ahead of emotional goodbye
@Source: mirror.co.uk
Jordan Pickford hasn’t got any medals from his eight years at Goodison. But at least the Everton keeper now has his own song, a No 1 fan who sits in the Gwladys Street - and a million memories. Pickford would love to keep a clean sheet when the curtain comes down for the final time at one of the most historic grounds in football - as long as the 10 men in front of him come up with a goal or two to make sure that the Toffees depart to their new home on the banks of the River Mersey with one last victory. Relegated Southampton are the visitors. But Pickford has long learned to take nothing for granted at a club that have been specialists in the art of the Great Escape since he arrived from Sunderland in 2018. “I think Southampton will want to spoil the party,” he said. "You play football to win and because you want to have some pride. That's what they'll be playing for, the pride. “We’ll be playing for the memory of winning the last home game at Goodison - and that’s massive. So there’s probably a little bit of added pressure. “I just try and do my best in every game. But I don't put pressure on myself about how many clean sheets I get because I'd rather win 4-3 than draw 0-0. You know what I mean? “If we win, I think it kind of guarantees us 13th place - and that’s important. Over the last few years, our history has been about surviving relegation. “It’s going to be a sad day leaving Goodison but the flip side is that we are moving to one of the best stadiums I’ve seen. The new stadium will be another chapter of Everton’s history - and hopefully we can create our own history there because I am 100 percent ambitious to win something.” Pickford joined a club that was in the Europa League . But despite being named Everton’s player of the season four times, the emphasis has been on survival in recent years. Three years ago they needed to come back from 2-0 down to beat Crystal Palace to be safe. The following year they edged past Bournemouth on the final day to stay up. Both games feature prominently in Pickford’s highlights reel. "The Palace game stands out," he said. "After going two goals down in the first half and then scoring three, it was incredible. That was one of the best games I've ever played in. “Against Bournemouth, I felt pretty chilled. It didn’t feel as pressurised. It felt easy. I was like ‘we did it last year, we might as well do it again!’ “When I think of Goodison, I think about the history of the place. Unfortunately, we’ve not won any silverware during my time here, but the history goes back such a long way." Two of Pickford’s three children will be mascots for the day. Son Arlo and daughter Ostara will be at their dad’s side, while baby girl Misty will be with mum Megan in the family’s private box. Pickford said: “I’m looking forward to having two of my kids as mascots, just as a memory. Arlo knows the words to the song that the fans have started to sing about me. He loves it. It’s only taken them eight years to come up with it! “I’ll probably keep my shirt, gloves and boots and get them framed. I also want the seats from my box. But the club are charging 90 quid each so I’ll have to do some bargaining!” Pickford will also make sure there is one final Goodison wave one supporter. He explained: “I play golf at Close House in the north-east and a few years ago I met a woman in the clubhouse called Cath who told me she was an Evertonian. “So before every home game, when I come out of the tunnel, I always wave to her when I am going towards the Gwladys Street. She’ll be there on Sunday and I'm sure she’ll also be at the new stadium. I’ll have to find out where her seat is so I can keep giving her a little wave.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
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