Shay Given on Jordan Pickford's Transfer Silence

Shay Given has watched the transfer market long enough to know how it usually works for top goalkeepers. One big move triggers another, and suddenly half of Europe is scrambling for a new No.1.

Which is why he cannot quite get his head around Jordan Pickford’s situation.

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, the former Newcastle and Manchester City goalkeeper admitted his surprise that Everton’s long-serving keeper has barely been mentioned in the transfer rumour mill, despite a decade of high-level consistency and a firm grip on the England shirt.

“Jordan Pickford has been at Everton for nearly 10 years now and he's been England number one for most of that time too and he broke the appearance record for England World Cup games,” Given said. “It is strange that we haven't heard of other clubs moving in for him during that time.”

In an era when elite clubs obsess over marginal gains, Pickford’s stability stands out. He has survived multiple managers, relegation battles and full-scale rebuilds at Goodison Park, yet his name rarely surfaces when Europe’s giants are linked with new keepers.

Given suspects there is a simple explanation.

“Maybe he's just really well-settled at Everton,” he said. “We obviously don't know if there have been bids for Jordan over the years but there's usually a sort of goalkeeper merry-go-round some summers, like how we talk about managers moving on.”

The merry-go-round never really came for Pickford. Not in any public way, at least. That’s despite the fact he remains in his prime years.

“Jordan has been in the game for so long you think he must be 34 or 35 but he's only 32,” Given pointed out. “I moved to Manchester City when I was 33 and goalkeepers in general get better with age as well. He's got many years left at the top level but maybe Jordan is happy where he is.”

Then came the line that will prick ears in west London.

“You'd think Chelsea would be on the phone tomorrow and jump at the chance to sign him if he gave them any encouragement.”

That is the level Given believes Pickford belongs at: a club with Champions League ambitions, a team that dominates the ball, a stage where every save and every mistake is magnified.

He has already shown he can live in that spotlight. For England, his tournament record speaks for itself. For Everton, his shot-stopping has repeatedly kept the club in the Premier League.

“It does surprise me that we don't see any rumours around him because some of the saves he produces for Everton are just phenomenal,” Given said.

One in particular is etched into his mind.

“I remember him tipping one over the crossbar from Sandro Tonali at St James' Park last season, it was unbelievable but he has that in his locker.”

That blend of reflex, reach and sheer instinct has long been Pickford’s calling card. What has evolved is everything around it: his positioning, his decision-making, the calmer command of his area. That’s where Given’s description of him as a “Steady Eddie” comes from – and he means it as the highest praise.

“He's a bit of a 'Steady Eddie', and if you think I'm playing him down by saying that, I'm not. I'm playing him up.

“When you've got a goalkeeper who is that steady, it's a real plus, and he's got a real personality.”

That personality has divided opinion at times. The shouting, the gesturing, the visible fire. Some see volatility; Given sees something else.

“Some people say it can spill over at times, but it shows his passion and hunger and desire for the team to do well. It's his will to win, you can't coach that or teach it. It's just who he is, and I don't mind that at all.”

So the question lingers over this summer and the next: has the market misread Jordan Pickford, or has he simply chosen his path already?