Darren Bent

Thu 4 February 2021 7:00, UK

Jordan Pickford needs to remain mentally strong at Everton – otherwise it will be “game over” for the shot-stopper. 

That is the view of former Tottenham and England striker Darren Bent who, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, backed the 26-year-old to remain resilient during another indifferent run of form.

The Everton keeper came under heavy fire from fans and pundits alike after his error allowed Leicester City to score in the 1-1 draw, while he conceded twice as Newcastle sealed a surprise 2-0 victory at Goodison Park last Saturday.

The England international’s performances have been under the microscope in recent years after making a number of high-profile mistakes which have led to goals.

Bent admitted it might be tough for the former Sunderland keeper to remain positive when the going gets tough but insisted he needed to keep his head.

“One thing as a goalkeeper you can’t allow to go is your mindset because once that goes, especially in that position, once the mindset goes, that’s it,” Bent told Football Insider.

“You’ve got to stay positive, because in that position, the moment that goes, that’s it, game over, absolutely game over. It’s really important for himself that he stays positive.

“We know that he’s made another mistake, we know people are talking about it but he needs to just go: ‘Alright, I made mistake, let me just get better, not talk about it.’ The thing is you don’t dwell on it. If you dwell on it, that’s when it affects you. You’ve just got to try and put it to bed.” 

Pickford has made 17 Premier League appearances for the Toffees this season but has been dropped in favour of Robin Olsen on occasion.

Everton will be hoping to bounce back from the defeat to Newcastle with a win over Leeds United on Wednesday night.