England's goalkeeper options - ranked

There's a famous old Nike advert which features Paolo Maldini and the tagline 'Italy's goalkeeper - easiest job in Europe'.

Unfortunately for England, they don't have Maldini marshalling the defence, so it matters greatly who they have between the sticks.

The race is on to secure the number one shirt for Euro 2024, but who are Gareth Southgate's front-runners for the tournament?

Here's 90min's ranking of England's goalkeeping options.

8. Jason Steele

Jason Steele was a surprise revelation for Brighton during 2022/23, replacing Robert Sanchez partway through the campaign.

The former England Under-21 goalkeeper impressed under Roberto De Zerbi but has since had to share his minutes following Bart Verbruggen's arrival on the south coast.

International honours could arrive in the future, with the former Sunderland stopper definitely more comfortable with the ball at his feet than other options, but he remains an outsider for selection in any Three Lions squad, let alone Euro 2024.

7. James Trafford

While Euro 2024 definitely came too early for James Trafford, he is someone to keep a close eye on moving forward.

Despite his benching towards the end of 2023/24, Trafford gained plenty of valuable experience during his debut Premier League season with Burnley. He was the hero of England's Under-21s triumph at the European Championship in the summer of 2023, saving a stoppage-time penalty against Spain in the final.

Trafford also got plenty of experience playing out from the back under previous Clarets head coach Vincent Kompany, which bodes well for the future.

6. Nick Pope

If you're looking for a goalkeeper who is great with his hands and adept at keeping the ball out of the back of the net, Nick Pope is your man.

The former Burnley man has been in brilliant form ever since he arrived at Newcastle United but missed a massive chunk of the campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery back in December.

The stopper could only make his comeback appearance on the last day of the season and that lack of game time coupled with Southgate's preference for playing out from the back ultimately saw Pope miss out on the final squad.

5. Jack Butland

Jack Butland was once regarded as England's answer between the sticks and made nine caps for his country. However, for a while, his club career faded into obscurity and he's rarely been considered by Southgate.

A move to Rangers has thrust Butland back into the picture. He kept over 20 clean sheets in Scotland during 2023/24 and many were left aghast by his exclusion from the squad for England's friendlies in March.

He was once again omitted for Euro 2024 but a move back to the Premier League could be enough to catch Southgate's eye in the future.

4. Sam Johnstone

Sam Johnstone was aiming to make it to back-to-back Euros squads having enjoyed a resurgent campaign with Crystal Palace.

The 31-year-old has four England caps to his name and has been a regular inclusion in recent squads.

However, his dreams of securing a ticket for the plane journey to Germany were squashed when he suffered a season-ending injury in April, opening the door for teammate Dean Henderson to take his place.

3. Dean Henderson

After making the permanent switch to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2023, Dean Henderson didn't enjoy a great start to life in London.

A serious thigh injury restricted his game time upon arrival at Selhurst Park and he had to compete with Johnstone for minutes this past season.

However, his teammate's injury blow opened the door for the former Manchester United goalie to play regularly for Palace at the end of the campaign and it proved enough for him to squeeze into Southgate's thinking as his third-choice stopper.

2. Aaron Ramsdale

Rewind to the beginning of 2023 and Aaron Ramsdale would have been a guaranteed pick for England at Euro 2024.

But after a couple of howling mistakes mixed in with David Raya's arrival at Arsenal, things weren't so clear cut now that he's second-choice at the Emirates.

However, the fitness issues affecting other options for Southgate means Ramsdale has made the cut and will most likely be the figure the manager calls upon if anything happens to his first-choice option.

The Arsenal goalkeeper has plenty of confidence with the ball at his feet, but he'll likely go unused during the tournament in Germany.

1. Jordan Pickford

Jordan Pickford remains a divisive figure among England supporters, with the Everton goalkeeper long criticised for his proneness to gaffes. Juggling the ball off the bar in the 96th minute of the Merseyside derby to gift Divock Origi an open goal springs to mind.

However, Pickford has largely eradicated his error-strewn performances at club level and become far more consistent for the Toffees.

The former Sunderland goalkeeper has always been preferred as Southgate's first-choice stopper and the England boss has never budged on that decision. That's probably because Pickford has always been flawless for the Three Lions, seldom putting a foot wrong on the international stage.

He's guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup in Germany.

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