Everton officially announced that it has extended the contract of goalkeeper Pickford until 2029. Since joining from Sunderland in 2017, the 31-year-old Pickford has grown into a key figure for club and country. He has played 326 games for Everton and 80 games for the England national team.

In an interview with Everton TV, Pickford said: "I am very happy that this contract has been extended by an extra two years, giving a total of four years. I am very excited. It gives me the opportunity to become a legend here personally and drive the club forward to get where we want to be."

"Everton is a very special club for me, I came here as a young man from Sunderland and gradually grew into a man. "Man, it's a special time for me and my family. I think everyone can see the changes and my improvement over time, but I'm still the same guy who loves to stop opponents from scoring goals and it's something I've put in a lot of. "

"It's always felt natural to me and the passion of the fans is unparalleled and it's been a great journey so far."} "I think the dark days are behind us and now it's time to build that momentum as a team and as a club and the new owners have shown their determination to push us forward and that's been true since the manager's arrival as well as our performances on the pitch. The manager wants us to carry over the good form we had at the end of last season into this season and will continue to push us forward. We've started well and hopefully we can continue that momentum and make Everton great again. For a team that can compete in European competitions. We know it is difficult to do, but this is the journey we want to take and we will work hard for it."

Pickford has won the Everton Player of the Season award four times, in the 2017-18 season and the 2021-22 season, the 2022-2023 season and the 2023-24 season, making him the player with the most awards in the club's history. In addition, he also won the players' vote for the best player of the season and the young player award.