Jordan Pickford lauded “golden boy” Jude Bellingham after he rescued England’s Euro 2024 campaign in the roller-coaster last-16 clash against Slovakia.
After winning Group C in unconvincing fashion, the Euro 2020 runners-up were on the brink of a humiliating exit akin to Iceland eight years ago in what would almost certainly have been Gareth Southgate’s last match.
England looked set to fail in their bid to cancel out Ivan Schranz’s opener for wily Slovakia, with Phil Foden seeing a goal ruled out for offside by the VAR, Harry Kane wasting a great chance and Declan Rice hitting a post.
But Real Madrid star Bellingham scored a jaw-dropping leveller five minutes into stoppage time, with his overhead kick followed by a Kane header early in extra time as Southgate’s side won 2-1.
“It was a roller coaster,” Pickford said back at England’s Blankenhain basecamp on Monday.
“I said in the pre-match interview it’s not how you play, you’ve got to show resilience and it’s about just winning the match and that’s what we did. Went into the trenches and we came out the other side.
“You’ve got two superstars, Jude and Harry, and they’ve come up with the goods.
“Jude, golden boy, again with the overhead kick to keep us in the game, keep us in the tournament.
“But we never say die, and that’s what it was last night. A roller coaster but we got over the line.”
A quarter-final against Switzerland is the reward for England after a Bellingham-inspired turnaround that made headlines and will live long in the memory.
“Ninety-fifth minute and I think there was six minutes added time, so probably one of the last kicks in the game,” Pickford said of the equaliser.
“For Jude to come up with that, something special from Walks’ [Kyle Walker] long throw, we mixed our game up well, and to get the equaliser to go into extra time was massive.
“It was an unbelievable moment. But then you start thinking ‘is VAR going to come into play?’ or anything like that.
“Because after the equaliser with Phil, then VAR came in and it kind of deflates you, like I said.
“But that emotion, that buzz around the place. Slovakia must have thought they had it in the bag.
“Then we had to step on the gas in extra time, which we did early doors with Harry getting that second goal. Then it was about our mentality to see the game out.”
But mindset can only take a team so far, with Southgate well aware their performance must go up a level against Switzerland if they are to progress to the Euros semi-finals.
The team 19th in FIFA’s world rankings finished as runners-up to hosts Germany in Group A and went on to knock out holders Italy 2-0 in the round of 16.
“Another tough opposition,” Pickford said. “Like I said at the start of the tournament, every game’s a tough game.
“The levels keep stepping up and we as England have got to step up again against another tough side, against Switzerland, with some top players.”
Asked if he has a message for fans, the England goalkeeper added: “Keep believing in us. We’ll go 100 per cent, give 100 per cent for the badge all the time, and we need them behind us because they’re a massive part of us.
“The atmosphere they create for us gives us an added edge.”