Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has waved away any transfer speculation, with the ‘keeper stating he is focused on the U-21 European Championships, according to The Independent.
The Wearside club were relegated to the second-tier of English football after a disappointing season in the Barclays Premier League, eventually finishing 16 points adrift of safety.
And following their relegation, favoured shot-stopper Jordan Pickford has stated he will be putting any transfer speculation on hold, with his primary focus on playing for England in the Under-21 European Championships.
The Three Lions’ younger age group, the under-20 players, recently stole the spotlight after reaching tomorrow’s (11th June) Under-20 World Cup final, and Pickford will be looking to emulate their successes in the European Championship in Poland.
Pickford has been heavily linked with a move back to the Premier League, with Everton looking the most likely destination, whilst former Sunderland boss David Moyes’ valuation of the shot-stopper shows no change from the £30million previously stated.
Speaking in the build-up to Friday’s opening game of the European Championships, Pickford said that he feels that he suits the Premier League, but will postpone any decisions until after the tournament.
“It’s a hard one. I feel like I am proved in the Premier League but I have spoken to my agent and told him that I just want to concentrate on the Euros and be the best I can be. I’ll see where it takes me.
“The Euros is massive for me and a lot of the other players. I feel it will be a great tournament. I feel we can go and win it. We won Toulon last year. All you [the media] were raving about Toulon, so we need to do that again.”
Despite Sunderland’s relegation, the 23-year-old was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his performances during his 35 appearances at the Stadium of Light.
But Pickford, who has been with the Club since he was eight-years-old, has said that it would be an emotionally difficult decision to make to move away from his boyhood club.
“Ideally, it would have been better if we had stayed up as a club. My heart is massive towards the club. It’s a hard one, really. But I have just got to keep concentrating on the Euros,” he said.
“That is all I can do. Where we have got relegated and then I have gone into the Euros; that is where I have to be strong. I don’t want to be getting distracted and I am really excited for it.
“We are all proper buzzing. We have got a chance to win it with the squad we have got. We have got to believe in ourselves. We have come this far, we have to get out of the group first, but we are capable of doing that easily. We will see where we go from there.
