Everton rebukes Lee Dixon after Pickford transfer comments

Everton publicly rebuked former England defender Lee Dixon on social media after he suggested during ITV commentary that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford should move to a bigger club, following England's 5-0 victory over Latvia in Riga on Tuesday that secured the nation's place at the 2026 World Cup. Dixon, working alongside Sam Matterface, questioned why Pickford had not transferred away from Everton despite his long tenure as England's first-choice keeper.

The club's official account on X responded within minutes, posting: "9 topflight titles, 5 FA Cups, 1 European title, one of football's most passionate fanbases, a worldclass new stadium. Everton FC a big club past, present future." The post tagged Dixon and drew widespread attention and reaction from supporters online.

Pickford, 31, was making his 80th appearance for England in Riga and extended an exceptional run of shutouts for the national side, registering his ninth consecutive clean sheet. He joined Everton from Sunderland in 2017 for a reported fee of 30 million and has made more than 300 appearances for the club. Club and other reports indicate he is poised to sign a new long-term contract that would extend his stay in...