David Seaman exclusive: ‘Jack Butland and Jordan Pickford are not up to Joe Hart’s standard yet’
Jordan Pickford is set to be England’s No.1 against the Netherlands tonight, but David Seaman does not believe either he nor Jack Butland are up to the standard of the Three Lions’ long-standing keeper Joe Hart.
Stoke star Butland is vying with Pickford and Hart for the role ahead of this summer’s World Cup, with all three named in Gareth Southgate’s most recent squad for the friendlies against the Dutch - played tonight - and Italy - scheduled for Tuesday.
Nick Pope, the Burnley keeper, is also part of the current England set-up, and he’ll be hoping to break into Southgate’s 23-man squad ahead of the trip to Russia.
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The expectation is Pickford and Butland are the most realistic candidates to be selected as starting glovesman for the finals, given Joe Hart’s woeful form for West Ham this season, and many feel the 30-year-old does not even deserve a spot on the plane.
However, legendary England shot-stopper Seaman told talkSPORT Hart has to be part of Southgate’s 23-man squad as he remains of a higher standard than both Pickford and Butland.
“For me, Joe has got everything a goalkeeper needs,” Seaman said on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast.
“He’s got all that experience, and you don’t just disregard that; he’s got 75 caps and played in the Champions League.
“The problem Joe’s got is he’s not playing. I know he played the last game for West Ham, but he needs to play for the rest of the season.
“I think Joe will definitely be in the three [for the World Cup]; he’s a quality goalkeeper and you don’t disregard all that experience he’s got.
“What if one of the young guys goes in and has a nightmare?
“You need experience to fall back on, but at the moment, I don’t think Jack or Jordan are up to the standard of Joe yet.”
Pickford is in line to start against the Netherlands - a match which is being covered LIVE on talkSPORT - and Seaman does think Southgate’s choice tells us something about the goalkeeper pecking order.
He continued: “I think it’s interesting he [Pickford] is getting the first game, because that might tell you something about the pecking order for the goalkeepers.
“With Jordan, it’s a good test for him.
“There are different levels [in football]; there’s Premier League, there’s Champions League, and then there’s international football.
“So the more he gets to play, the more we are going to see him, and the better test he is going to get.”
Seaman feels Butland will be afforded the opportunity to start England’s next friendly, however: “I think Jack will play the Italian game.”
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