After a 2-0 home win over Finland in the 2nd round of the UEFA Europa League group stage, England goalkeeper Pickford was interviewed by the media and spoke highly of his team's overall performance as well as the rise of the young players.
Pickford began by praising his team's excellent performance in the match: "The lads were excellent tonight. Although our opponents finished the game with several effective attacking and defensive transitions, we quickly found our formation and regained possession through aggressive pressing. This counter-attacking efficiency allowed us to take the initiative throughout the game."
Regarding the current state of the team, Pickford believes that this is a new beginning: "The time of this training session is short, but our team has already shown strong cohesion and fighting strength. It is worth mentioning that many young players in the team have won honors with the coach in the U21 UEFA European Youth Championships, and they understand the coach's tactical intentions and playing style very well. This tacit understanding has injected new energy into the team, and has also given the older players a new sense of challenge and motivation. I'm always looking to improve and the addition of young players certainly opens up more possibilities."
In addition, Pickford also talked about England's emphasis on and cultivation of young players: "In the England team, we always believe that young players have great potential and unlimited future. Since U16, there have been many outstanding young players who have stood out and won the opportunity to play for the adult team through their tireless efforts and outstanding performance. This kind of trust and development mechanism for young players not only keeps our team alive, but also delivers a steady stream of excellent talents to our national team. I am confident that we will see more young players rise and shine in future matches."
Finally, Pickford also mentioned the role of the manager in the team: "The manager's tactical arrangement and employment strategy is crucial to the team. He is able to make timely adjustments according to the game situation and players' status to ensure that the team always maintains the best competitive state. At the same time, he also pays great attention to the cultivation and exploration of young players, laying a solid foundation for the team's future."
