Thomas Tuchel has named his three goalkeepers for the World Cup – and all of them have one unlikely thing in common: Carlisle United. Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson and James Trafford all played for the League Two club, an achievement the Cumbrians describe as a source of 'huge pride'.
Pickford, now the senior England number one with 85 caps, made 18 appearances for Carlisle on loan from Sunderland in 2014, joining a side battling relegation from League One. Ben Benson, then part of the club's goalkeeping set-up, recalled a pivotal moment at Deepdale against Preston. 'He made a mistake, one that goalkeepers up and down the country make every week,' said Benson. A cross slipped from Pickford's grasp, allowing Lee Holmes to score Preston's third in a 6-1 win. But it was the teenager's response that stood out. 'He got his towel and put it over his head for maybe five seconds. He took it off, put it back on, and it was almost like he'd pressed the reset button. From that moment on, I remember him being outstanding.'
“All three of England's World Cup goalkeepers have featured for Carlisle United, a source of huge pride for the club.”
Pickford's displays could not prevent Carlisle's relegation, but he returned to Sunderland, became first-choice, and joined Everton in 2017 for a reported £30m. 'In Jordan you see reliability and robustness,' said Benson. 'For him to have over 300 Premier League appearances and more than 80 England caps, there's a robustness there.'
While Pickford was a loanee, Dean Henderson and James Trafford came through Carlisle's academy. Henderson, now at Crystal Palace, and Trafford, of Newcastle United, both learned their craft in west Cumbria before moving to bigger clubs. For the present and former staff at Carlisle, seeing all three in an England squad is an accolade like no other.
From the Lake District, Beatrix Potter and Cumberland sausages, Cumbria can now claim another export: England's goalkeepers.