Robinson says Pickford is still England’s No. 1, and the Trafford debate is for “down the road, but not now”

Paul Robinson says Jordan Pickford is still England’s undisputed No. 1, and that Thomas Tuchel’s decision to hand James Trafford games is planning for the future rather than a threat to the incumbent. As England face Croatia at Wembley, the former England goalkeeper argues the debate is real but premature.

Why Tuchel rotated

Tuchel caused a stir in the last international window by alternating his goalkeepers. Trafford played in the 3-2 defeat by Spain and against the Czech Republic, before Pickford returned for the Wembley win over the Czechs and the 7-0 rout in Croatia. Tuchel has suggested he may rotate again in this window, which brings Croatia at Wembley on Thursday and Spain in Madrid on Sunday in the Nations League.

Robinson, speaking to BBC Sport, said the logic was obvious to him. “We are so guilty as a nation of taking one goalkeeper to a tournament who has 70, 80, 90 caps, then the two of three below him could have less than double figures combined,” he said, in an interview with BBC Sport.

His point is that competitive caps cannot be replicated on the bench. “Competitive and tournament caps give you the type of experience you can’t get as a number two or three keeper,” he said. Trafford, he noted, is 24 and has four caps, two of them competitive.

“Not now”

Robinson was clear that the rotation should not be read as a demotion. “We saw the last selections and all thought Jordan Pickford’s place is under threat and James Trafford is going to be the next number one. I don’t think Thomas Tuchel saw it as starkly or simply as that,” he said. “It’s a conversation that will definitely take place down the road, but not now.”

The numbers support him. According to Opta figures cited by the BBC, Pickford has made only two errors leading to goals in 93 England appearances, with 46 clean sheets. Eighty of those caps have come in competitive matches and 33 at major tournaments, and his time as first choice has included World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and 2026 and two European Championship finals.

Robinson also pointed to Pickford’s club form at Everton. Since the start of the 2024-25 season only David Raya has kept more Premier League clean sheets, and Robinson argued Pickford has had to work much harder for his. His summary was a goalkeeper’s compliment: “The biggest compliment I can pay Jordan Pickford is that when you have got that England goalkeeper’s shirt, everybody thinks somebody else should be doing it.”

The case for Trafford

None of this dismisses Trafford. Robinson described his summer move from Manchester City to Leeds, in a deal that could be worth up to £45m, as “a match made in heaven”, and said the 24-year-old has the potential to be England’s future No. 1. But he also noted that Trafford has played only 42 Premier League games, which is why he sees this window as a chance to build experience rather than to settle the shirt.

The counter-argument is that the future may arrive sooner than Robinson suggests. Pickford is 32, and a goalkeeper’s decline can be sudden. Tuchel’s willingness to start Trafford against Spain, of all opponents, showed real faith. Robinson accepts the premise: “Father Time catches up with everyone eventually and the manager needs to have a contingency plan.” He simply believes the handover is not due yet.

A thinner field behind them

Robinson’s most striking observation was about depth. He recalled that, 18 months to two years ago, England had Nick Pope, Sam Johnstone, Trafford, Dean Henderson, Aaron Ramsdale and Pickford to choose from. Now, he said, Pope is not playing at Newcastle, Johnstone is out of the picture and Ramsdale is “nowhere near”. Henderson, back from injury, is outside the latest squad.

That is the strongest argument for Tuchel’s approach. If the pool has shrunk to two serious contenders, giving the younger one tournament-standard games is not a luxury. It is insurance.

Whoever starts at Wembley, Robinson’s verdict is that the shirt is not up for grabs on form. “Is James Trafford challenging Jordan Pickford right now? Yes he is – if Jordan Pickford isn’t playing very well and Jordan Pickford is making errors,” he said. “None of the above are true right now because he’s playing well for Everton and has done nothing wrong for England.”

For more on Everton’s season, read Shearer and Lineker on Thierno Barry’s goals.