I tried to get Liverpool to sign Jordan Pickford, says Chris Kirkland

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has revealed he urged the Reds to sign England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, before he joined Everton.

Pickford, 24, joined Everton from Sunderland last summer in a deal worth £30million and had an impressive personal season despite the club’s failings.

His personal success continued into the World Cup, with the Everton goalkeeper saving one penalty as England beat Colombia in a shootout to reach the quarter-finals.

And now Kirkland, who spent five years with Liverpool, has revealed he advised his former club to sign Pickford, having spent a season with him at Preston North End in 2015/16.

“I tried to get Liverpool to sign Jordan two or three years ago when I was at Preston with him,” he told talkSPORT.

“I was raving about him to the Liverpool staff, saying this lad is the best I’ve worked with.

“I told them he is going to be something special – but not many people take notice of me to be honest!

“Unfortunately they didn’t get him and Everton have got, for me, a steal even at £30million.”

While Everton got Pickford, Liverpool had to deal with their own goalkeeping problems last season as neither Loris Karius or Simon Mignolet instilled much confidence.

In the Champions League final Karius made two high-profile mistakes which cost Liverpool the match, first rolling the ball into Karim Benzema before dropping Gareth Bale’s long-range effort – though later information would show the German had suffered a concussion.

Thanks to Pickford, England will now face Sweden in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, looking to secure a first major tournament semi-final since Euro ’96.

Pickford’s debut season with Everton

Playing all 38 of Everton’s Premier League games last season, Pickford conceded 58 goals and kept 10 clean sheets.

The 24-year-old made the fourth-most saves in the league (121), bettered only by Jack Butland (144), Lukasz Fabianski (137) and Mathew Ryan (124).

Pickford also faced five penalties in the Premier League, saving one from Manuel Lanzini in a 4-0 win over West Ham United.

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