Soccer-Tuchel lauds 'fantastic' Pickford after record eighth England clean sheet

Oct 10 (Reuters) – England manager Thomas Tuchel praised Jordan Pickford's composure and adaptability after the goalkeeper set a record with his eighth consecutive clean sheet in his country's 3-0 victory over Wales in a friendly match at Wembley on Thursday. The 31-year-old surpassed the record he had previously shared with England great Gordon Banks to become the first keeper to achieve eight successive shutouts in 90-minute appearances for the England men's team. England stormed to their eighth straight win against Wales, with goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka effectively ending the contest within 20 minutes. Tuchel, who took charge of England in January, commended Pickford's ability to remain sharp after being largely untested for long stretches of the game. "It's not easy to stay focused in a dominant first half like that. Have basically nothing to do," Tuchel said. "And then suddenly, I think in the 42nd minute, there's situation where it always can be dangerous. And second half, he had a very difficult save to close his legs very fast. "He's a fantastic shot stopper. There is no doubt about it. Today there was a challenge for him because they pressed us high. And we want to escape the pressing. We want to have the chance to escape the pressing, also with short passes, and not only with long shots from him. So, he did very well. "He kept his composure. He kept calm. This is basically what we demand of him. He stayed calm, kept his focus." The German also praised Pickford's ability to adapt to his tactical demands. "It's like, always a team effort, and I think he's happy to share this with at least the defenders in front of him. But with a defensive approach that we make it the least saves possible from him, but he's doing good," Tuchel added. "Well done, congratulations. Fantastic achievement." (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Writing by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

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