Sunderland youngster Jordan Pickford has reflected on his debut for his hometown club in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, describing it as a "dream come true."

Pickford was recalled from his loan spell at Championship club Preston North End after impressing many during his short spell at Deepdale and was thrown straight into the starting XI for the match the Emirates Stadium.

Sam Allardyce’s faith in the England under-21 international paid off too as he put in a great first performance, but could nothing about the scoreline as goals from Joel Campbell, Aaron Ramsey and Oliver Giroud cancelled out Jeremain Lens’ opener.

Dream come true

The youngster spoke of his delight of his debut, telling the club's official website that it was a “dream come true,” with him coming from nearby Washington and being a “Sunderland fan” as a child.

Pickford admitted that the result “wasn’t the best,” but from his personal stand point it was the “proudest moment” of his and his family’s lives.

Jordan Pickford had a splendid debut at the Emirates. (Photo: Frank Reid)
Jordan Pickford had a splendid debut at the Emirates. (Photo: Frank Reid)

He went on to talk about the day, saying that he had been on a “lot of loans” but had “benefited” from them, especially from his time with Preston. He said he didn’t feel “too nervous” about his debut either, as he told himself it was “just another game” in which he had to keep the ball “out of the net”.

After finally making his debut, Pickford said that he “couldn’t ask for anything more” and will continue to “work hard” on the training pitch, “putting the pressure on” both Vito Mannone and Costel Pantilimon.

Crucial clash

Despite impressing manager Allardyce on Saturday, it seems that Pickford will have to wait for his Premier League introduction as Mannone will reclaim his place for Wednesday’s crucial clash with fourth-bottom Swansea City.

Allardyce praised the young keeper, telling the Sunderland Echo that he “looked the part” and has a “very bright future”.

However, when asked if Pickford would play against Alan Curtis’ side, he said “Vito will play" against the Welsh side as the Italian has done “really well” since coming in for Pantilimon and was a “big part” of their 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Sunderland will visit Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Wednesday 13 January, with kick-off at 7:45PM.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Danial  Kennedy
Award-winning sports journalism graduate. Currently studying a PR Masters at the University of Sunderland. Writing for VAVEL since August 2014. Twitter - @ddkjournalism.