World Cup

[monks data]

Attendance: 78,011

World Cup | Semi-Finals

Jul 11, 2018 at 7pm UK

Croatia
2-1
England

Perisic (68'), Mandzukic (109')

FT
(aet)

Trippier (5')

Jordan Pickford shrugs off Thibaut Courtois comments

By Barney Corkhill, Editor

Published: July 9 2018 | 17:00

Last updated: July 10 2018 | 14:11

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford shrugs off comments from Belgium counterpart Thibaut Courtois appearing to question his height, insisting he is not far off his level.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has shrugged off comments from Belgian counterpart Thibaut Courtois appearing to question his height.

Courtois suggested that he would have caught the shot Pickford failed to reach during the World Cup group game between their respective sides - a result which clinched top spot in Group G for Belgium.

Pickford has since made a string of crucial saves to help England into the semi-finals of the tournament, and the Everton man insists that he is not far from reaching the level of Courtois.

"I would not let that affect me. It is just a game of football. I don't let anything like that (criticism) affect me. I'm just a normal lad," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

"A lot of people think I am only young, but it is my second season in the Premier League, and I do not feel as if I am far away from guys like [Courtois].

"I got a lot of games under my belt in the lower leagues, and I don't feel the Premier League or this (England) is that much different. In some way, non-League and League Two was the hard challenge."

England will face Croatia in the semi-finals of the World Cup on Wednesday.