Jordan Pickford: Sunderland star backed to take Joe Hart’s England jersey – if he steers clear of the burgers and fries
David Moyes reckons Black Cats rookie is future Three Lions goalie but warns he will only develop with right nutrition
DAVID MOYES claims Jordan Pickford can be England’s No 1 — as long as he steers clear of McDonald’s.
Sunderland’s rookie keeper has earned a supersized fan club in his breakthrough Prem campaign.
It led to a shock call-up to Gareth Southgate’s senior squad for the World Cup qualifier in Slovenia as injury cover for Burnley's Tom Heaton.
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Black Cats boss Moyes says Pickford, 22, reminds him of Joe Hart — and hopes he will now push the Manchester City outcast for an England spot.
But he has told his rookie, who has played just seven top-flight games, to lay off the burgers and fries.
Ahead of Sunderland’s battle of the bottom two at Stoke, Moyes revealed: “From what I’m hearing from my support team, he needs to make sure he’s eating correctly.
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“Has it got to a point where I’ve said I’ll fine him if I see him with a burger in his hand? No, but a career is short as a player.
“If you want to be at the top, you have to do all those things to get there. He needs a programme to make sure he continues growing in the right way. His frame will change and he needs to look at the kind of work he does in the gym.
“What we don’t want to do is put him on a pedestal and find he falls, because he can end up being England No 1. I’ve told him now he’s come back from international duty, he needs to show everyone why he was picked.”
Moyes admits Sunderland could lose Pickford, as they did with new England skipper Jordan Henderson, who joined Liverpool in 2011.
The Scot added: “The top clubs will be looking at him — that’s what happens.
“I don’t think we’d ever be in a hurry to sell Jordan. And if we do then we know we’ve got a big commodity with him being a young England keeper. But part of bringing players here will be that we have to sell some on the way.”