Jordan Pickford's old PE teacher says England star's 'fiery personality' helps him between the Euro 2024 posts as his former coach reveals he has no fear of the ball and considers it 'just a bag of air'

Jordan Pickford's 'fiery personality' helps him between the posts at the Euros, his former PE teacher says, as a former coach reveals he has no fear of the ball. 

The Everton stopper, 30, was the Three Lions' hero against Switzerland as he saved  Manuel Akanji's spot kick during the quarter-final penalty shootout win.

Pickford has now saved four of the 14 penalties he has faced in shoot-outs at major tournaments - double the amount of all of the previous England goalkeepers between 1990 and 2012. 

But it isn't divine intervention or luck that is driving Pickford's success, but psychology and preparation. 

A cheat sheet taped to his water bottle named all of the Swiss players and how he should react. 

Pickford already knew before Akanji stood up to take the kick which way to dive. 

Now, as Gareth Southgate's men prepare for a semi-final showdown against the Netherlands in Dortmund tonight, his former PE teacher Alan Fisher has revealed how Pickford's explosiveness makes him 'thrive in the penalty situation'. 

The teacher at Catholic school St Robert of Newminster, in Washington, which Pickford attended from Year 7 to 11, told The Times: 'His fiery personality definitely comes out, I think that's what you need as a goalkeeper to save a ball really, you've got to have that 'Come on, bring it on' attitude.' 

The confidence Pickford exudes is something that has followed him since his childhood. 

Mr Fisher said: 'He had that little bit of an edge to want to be better than the people around him or the other team.' 

He was always at the front of the dinner queue and was given the nickname 'Speedy' by his classmates as he was 'very explosive' and 'very much on top of things quickly', Mr Fisher said. 

Pickford joined the Sunderland academy at the age of 8 where goalkeeper coach Mark Prudhoe oversaw his development for more than a decade. 

He compared his arrogance and confidence to that of Arsenal and England legend David Seaman.

Unbothered by the ferocity of some of the shots he has to face, he would save them with his ear or nostril to stop the ball from rippling the back of the net.

He 'would get in the way of the ball', Mr Prudhoe said, as he continued: 'He used to say, 'It's just a bag of air'.' 

Pickford now has the fourth-most clean sheets of any player in Euros history, with goalkeeping legends Iker Casillas, Edwin van der Sar and Gigi Buffon ahead of him

Speaking to the media ahead of the quarter-final clash he told of how he likes 'the pressure, the big game moments'.

He summed up his England career so far as 'memorable' during a sit-down interview with ITV following the win over Switzerland and gave a mark of 10 out of 10 when asked how much he enjoyed a penalty shootout.

Pickford said he had no doubt England would win as all the rehearsals had been 'perfect' and spoke of being a passionate person. 

'Having the honour to play for your country and be number one is a dream come true,' he said. 

'I know it's easy to say that, but it thrives me to be the best I can be of myself.' 

Southgate yesterday called on his team to play with no fear and create history by becoming the first England men's side to reach an overseas tournament final. 

'We've listened to the challenges over the years and used them as motivation to break new ground.

'We've never been to a final outside our own shores. These are opportunities to make a difference and that's how we have to look at it. 

'We don't want to be burdened by what's happened before. We have got to use this opportunity to change history as a motivation, and that's how the players see it. It's about their moment now, nothing that's gone on in the past. None of that is their fault or their concern.'

Amid criticism of England's performances and Southgate's tactics throughout the Euros, the manager insisted team spirit was stronger than ever. 'This group of players have really come together well over the last three or four weeks,' he said. 

'We've spoken about (playing with fear). When you sense that feeling, you need to confront it. It's no use hoping it will go away.

'I had to correct how the players were viewing things. Maybe it was the expectation. Maybe it was a lot of external things as well. But now they're very much in a, "What's achievable, what's possible?" mindset.'