'Only one there is no question about' - Harry Kane hailed as England's only undroppable player by Jordan Pickford as Everton goalkeeper hits back at Three Lions critics

After scoring 73 goals in 107 games for England, along with being prolific at Bayern Munich, Everton goalkeeper Pickford feels Kane's spot in Thomas Tuchel's team is not up for debate. Moreover, he has responded to talk of Manchester City's James Trafford, among others, competing with him for the Three Lions' number one jersey.

He told The Telegraph: "People have been trying to dismantle my [England] shirt for a few years now and I’ll keep pushing and keep showing my levels. It’s always good to have a good competition. In any position, whether it’s club or country, you want to be fighting for the shirt because it’ll bring the best out of you. There will always be questions. The only one there is no question about in an England shirt is Harry Kane. There’s competition for places all over. You’re always going to have that, you’ve got to thrive on that and you’ve got to step up to the plate and improve yourself. Don’t let anyone take your shirt, it’s yours to hold on to and keep improving. It’s about putting performances in for Everton’s badge, which will lead me to be successful for England’s badge."

While Kane has certainly proven his worth for England over the years, Pickford has delivered time and time again for the national side; particularly in penalty shootouts. But the Everton star is not immune to poor form or mistakes, so he will have to be at his best if he wants to start in goal for England at the 2026 World Cup.

Both Kane and Pickford are likely to feature in England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia on September 6 and 9, respectively. The Three Lions round off 2025 with a friendly against Wales, before further qualifiers against Latvia, Serbia, and Albania.