Roy Keane attacks England ace again in Greece loss – ‘He won’t change’ | Football | Sport

Roy Keane launched another attack on England No.1 Jordan Pickford during their 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley.

The Three Lions thought a late Jude Bellingham equaliser had spared their blushes against their Nations League Group F rivals on Thursday night before Vangelis Pavlidis scored a famous late winner.

After a first-half in which England survived several scares including two offside goals, Pavlidis put the Greeks ahead on 49th minute, firing low beyond Pickford after good feet.

That came after Levi Colwill was forced to produce a brilliant goalline clearance, while Pickford was thankful Konstantinos Mavropanos was flagged offside after mistiming a punch that allowed the West Ham defender to score.

Speaking on ITV at half-time, Manchester United legend Keane – a long-time vocal critic of the goalkeeper’s – needed no invitation to dig the 30-year-old out.

Watching the move that led to Colwill’s clearance, in which Pickford was caught in possession 30 yards out from his goal, Keane said: “It sends a message about concentration levels, and that spreads throughout the team. Again there’s a lack of urgency.

“What’s he [Pickford] doing?! Do it quickly. Brilliant defending, very unlucky by Greece but a lovely message for defenders – never give it up. He [Colwill] chased it and did brilliant. But not a good message from Pickford to send.”

“Here again, he looks all over the place. He gets caught in no man’s land. It’s very jittery, Pickford,” fellow ITV pundit Ian Wright then chimed in.

To which Keane, 53, added: “That will always be there with Pickford. He’s not going to change now.”

It is not the first time Keane has been critical of Pickford. The Irishman hammered the Everton shot-stopper in May last year after the Merseyside club lost 3-0 to Manchester City in the Premier League.

He said on Sky Sports: “Pickford for the goal… my goodness. He looks so small in there. There is no spring, he’s not anticipating. Micah (Richards) said before the game he’s a top keeper. He’s not.”

While in March 2020, after Manchester United drew 1-1 with the Toffees at Goodison Park, Keane was similarly scathing about a Bruno Fernandes shot he felt Pickford should have kept out.

He said: “When I hear that, when people say the ball is moving, of course the ball is going to move when someone kicks it.

“The bottom line with Pickford, I’m not joking. I don’t need to see your stats, I know he’s [Pickford] not a good goalkeeper. We said it before the game, he is not up to it.

“We spoke before the game about Everton making progress as a football club, I don’t care, he is not a good goalkeeper.”

Greece were excellent at Wembley against Lee Carsley’s men and recorded their first ever win against England thanks to Pavlidis’ 94th-minute goal.

Bellingham had bagged an equaliser in the 87th minute which the hosts thought had salvaged them a point.

The Greeks also had three goals ruled out for offside in an impressive showing in London.