England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has agreed a new contract with Everton to end speculation over a move to a Premier League rival. The 28-year-old, approaching the last 12 months of his contract, had been linked with a move to Tottenham among other clubs but has agreed to stay at Goodison Park until the end of the 2026/27 season, even though the contract has not yet been signed.Despite Everton’s troubles over the last two seasons, Pickford has never indicated he wants to leave the club, and his form has remained consistently good. The news will boost the new coach Sean Dyche, who has been impressed by the player’s attitude and application since he took over as manager last month.England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has agreed a new contract with Everton until 2027 despite links with Spurs. There is no relegation exit clause. 🗣️ Sean Dyche: “He’s a very, very good player, a good servant to this club so far and he’s going to continue to be that for sure… pic.twitter.com/RnWzI1hDww— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) February 23, 2023 Pickford, a $36 million signing from Sunderland in 2017, has made over 200 appearances for Everton, and Dyche believes he can continue improving. Despite Everton being 16th in the table, just one point clear of the relegation zone, their new coach is building for a better future – and he wants to keep his best players.”He’s a very, very good player, a good servant to this football club so far, and he’s going to continue to be that for sure. I think it’s a sign that he’s enjoying our new regime and he’s accepting of what we’re looking to offer. He’s been a fantastic player, so we want that to continue.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7041378##Dyche has won both of his home games in charge so far, either side of defeat in the Merseyside derby at Liverpool, and will look to make it three in a row when Aston Villa visit on Saturday. But neither of the wins over Arsenal and Leeds were seen first-hand by the club’s hierarchy, who have stayed away from Goodison in recent weeks following what the club described as credible threats to their safety. Dyche said his interactions with the board had been normal since his arrival, but recognised the need to bring all parties together at the club.”If there is a disconnection, we’ve got to try to bring a reconnection. The fans are a massively important part of the club, I understand that and I’m learning more and more about that, the energy and passion, it’s got to be respected. Can we bring it back together and find the right way to bring it together? Wins help, they bring the feel-good factor. It doesn’t solve everything but it makes it feel better and hopefully brings a new connection.”Everton’s Number 1️⃣Jordan Pickford 💙pic.twitter.com/CZ2Ua2QSaI— Views On The Blues (@ViewsOnTheBIues) February 22, 2023 Discussing life under new boss Dyche, Pickford admitted the squad needed something new in the wake of Frank Lampard’s ill-fated tenure.”It’s been a refresh. Back to basics, in some respects, and it’s important we’re defending our goal well and being hard to beat. We need to keep building our form now. We’ve been working extremely hard on the training pitch, and that will continue because we want more.”
