Tuchel praises ‘fantastic’ Pickford after record eighth clean sheet in England

England manager Thomas Tuchel praised Jordan Pickford’s composure and adaptability after the goalkeeper set a record with his eighth consecutive clean sheet in his country’s 3-0 win over Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday.

The 31-year-old surpassed the record he previously shared with England great Gordon Banks and became the first goalkeeper to record eight consecutive shutouts in 90-minute matches for the England men’s team.

England stormed to an eighth straight win against Wales, with goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka effectively ending the match inside 20 minutes.

Tuchel, who took charge of England in January, praised Pickford’s ability to stay sharp after being largely untested for long parts of the game.

«It’s not easy to stay focused in such a dominant first half. You don’t really have anything to do,» Tuchel said. «And then suddenly, I think, in the 42nd minute, there is a situation where it can always be dangerous. And in the second half he had a very difficult save to close his legs very quickly.»

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«He’s a fantastic shot-stopper. There’s no doubt about that. Today there was a challenge for him because they were pressing us high. And we want to escape the pressure. We want to have the opportunity to escape the pressure, also with short passes, and not just with long shots from him. So he did very well.»

«He kept his composure. He stayed calm. This is basically what we demand of him. He stayed calm, kept his focus.»

The German also praised Pickford’s ability to adapt to his tactical demands.

«It’s always a team effort and I think he would like to share this with at least the defenders in front of him. But with a defensive approach we make as few saves as possible from him, but he is doing well,» Tuchel added.

«Well done, congratulations. Fantastic achievement.»

Published on October 10, 2025