Pickford: Let's Win It For James

Jordan Pickford says Everton’s players will be desperate to get a victory for stricken teammate James McCarthy when they return to action against Leicester City on Wednesday night. 

The Blues will be back at Goodison Park for the first time since the Republic of Ireland international suffered a double leg fracture during last weekend’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion. 


McCarthy underwent a successful operation on the injury on Monday and posted on social media to thanks Evertonians for all their good wishes and messages of support. 

And Pickford is adamant the 27-year-old's teammates will want to give him an additional boost by getting back to winning ways against Claude Puel’s Foxes. 

“It was horrible for James,” Pickford told evertonfc.com. “You do not want to see anybody get injured but it is probably more gutting for James than anybody else because he has worked so hard to get fit.


“It wasn’t nice and I know we’re all thinking, ‘let’s go out there and win for James’.”

McCarthy’s injury occurred during a brave second-half challenge to deny West Brom’s Salomón Rondón a chance on goal, and Pickford admits it took “mental toughness” to focus on the job at hand after seeing the former Wigan Athletic man taken off on a stretcher.

“It was difficult to see but then I went back to my mental toughness and knew I could not let it affect me, because we did not want to lose the game. 

“I know the other lads felt the same. Obviously all the lads were down after the game about it as well.

“It was devastating for him but I know he will come back stronger because I know what type of lad he is, even though I have only been here six months.”

Seamus Coleman was among those at Goodison Park to watch the meeting with Alan Pardew’s Baggies and immediately left his seat to join McCarthy as he was tended to by the Club’s medical staff. 

Coleman was back at the stadium on Tuesday night to make his long-awaited comeback from a similar injury, playing 58 minutes in Everton Under-23s’ 3-0 win over Portsmouth in the Premier League Cup. 

And while disappointed for McCarthy, Pickford is pleased to see his Irish colleague returning to bolster the Blues’ ranks ahead of the season’s run-in. 

“That was great to see,” he added. “Seamus has been itching to get back for a while.

“It is more competition for us. Jonjoe [Kenny] has been doing brilliantly, and having Seamus back will be like having a new signing for us.”