David Moyes makes shock Jordan Pickford Everton transfer admission as new contract close

David Moyes has lifted the lid on the role he played in Jordan Pickford's move from Sunderland to Everton in 2017

David Moyes has revealed he told Everton to sign Jordan Pickford in 2017 when they made him the most expensive British goalkeeper in football history. The Blues paid Sunderland a £25m fee to bring the then 23-year-old to Goodison Park eight years ago.

It is a fee that was only eclipsed this summer when Manchester City brought James Trafford back from Burnley for £31m.

Following the departure of Moyes signing Tim Howard, who left Everton to return to the USA and join Colorado Rapids in 2016 after a decade of service at Goodison Park, new signing Maarten Stekelenburg and Joel Robles shared the number one spot, each starting 19 Premier League matches apiece during the 2016/17 season.

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But with the Blues searching for a long-term successor to Howard, Moyes, who had resigned at Sunderland after suffering the only relegation of his managerial career, recommended Pickford, who had played 32 games for him that season, to his old Everton chairman.

Now back in charge of the Blues and reunited with his former protégé, the 62-year-old said: “When I lost my job at Sunderland, at the end of the season, I said to Bill (Kenwright): ‘You have got to sign the goalkeeper at Sunderland’ – and he did. He went on and signed him at that time.”

Pickford’s route to the top was not a straightforward one and he had half a dozen loan spells at Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Preston North End before finally being handed his senior Sunderland debut by future Everton manager Sam Allardyce.

However, the Washington-born player had only made two Premier League appearances before Moyes installed him as number one.

The Glaswegian said: “He was a fabulous young goalkeeper at the time. Mature enough in some ways – funnily enough, he wasn’t as giddy in his younger days.

“I thought he was a bit more settled, but he was probably still mad off the pitch! But, seriously, he was a really good goalkeeper.”

Despite Moyes not being employed by the club at the time, Pickford could arguably go down then as one of his best Everton ‘signings.’

Now 31, on Tuesday when Thomas Tuchel’s side go to Latvia for a game in which they can clinch World Cup qualification, Pickford is set to double the previous record for the most England caps won by a player while with the Blues, with the previous best set by a bona fide Moyes acquisition Phil Jagielka (40).

Pickford, who the ECHO understands is closing in on a new deal that could effectively keep him at Hill Dickinson Stadium for the rest of his career, kept an eighth clean sheet in a row for the Three Lions in their 3-0 friendly win over Wales on Thursday to break Gordon Banks’ record that had stood since 1966

And Moyes said: “To actually have that longevity of being an England goalkeeper? David Seaman was 14 years in the England squad.

“Jordan has been in it for eight? Well, he’s got a bit to do to catch him, hasn’t he? But it’s some achievement, it really is.

“Without being disrespectful to anyone, maybe the competition wasn’t as strong as it was in those earlier years (when Peter Shilton battled for the shirt with Ray Clemence) but it doesn’t change anything. Jordan has had eight years as an England goalkeeper – what has he had?

“Two World Cups, two European Championship finals? Incredible. Incredible.

“And he is still going strong. He’s playing really well – and there is more to come.”

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