Jordan Pickford left football fans stunned after Everton’s heated encounter with Manchester United, revealing something that sent a wave of shock throughout the Premier League.
Despite Everton securing all three points and United finishing the game with ten men, the England goalkeeper couldn’t hide the impact one specific United attacker had on him.
It wasn’t the defeat, the tactics, or the pressure of the match that stayed on his mind — it was the sheer intensity of one Red Devils player whose power and relentlessness forced Pickford into one of his most demanding afternoons of the season.
Everton may have walked off the pitch as winners, but Pickford’s post-match expression said everything. Rather than celebrating the victory or praising his teammates, he admitted that he had been genuinely shaken by one Manchester United player’s physicality and shot power.
For someone who has built a reputation on confidence, bravery, and facing some of the most ruthless strikers in world football, his admission was startling.
Speaking bluntly, Pickford confessed, “Even though we won and they went down to ten men, I have to be honest… I haven’t dealt with a player this aggressively dangerous all season. The shots he hit today felt like they could seriously injure me.”
These weren’t the words of a goalkeeper who had just cruised to a routine win. This was the reaction of someone who had faced an ordeal between the posts — one that left a lasting impression.
What stunned supporters even more was that the player he spoke about wasn’t the obvious candidate. It wasn’t Bruno Fernandes pulling strings from midfield.
It wasn’t Marcus Rashford trying to cut in from the left. It wasn’t even Rasmus Højlund battling with defenders up top.
Instead, the man Pickford feared was the one United player who refused to back down even as the match slipped away. He kept firing at goal from every angle, every distance, and every half chance he could carve out.
His shots were described as violent, almost explosive, carrying the weight of someone determined to drag his team back into the match by force.
Pickford said some of the strikes felt like “bullets coming out of nowhere,” and even Everton’s defenders were warning him constantly to stay alert because the United forward looked capable of scoring at any second.
Although Manchester United ended the evening with a disappointing result, that particular player achieved something rare: he earned genuine respect from one of the league’s most experienced and outspoken goalkeepers.
To hear Pickford — a player known for his bravado — openly admit he was rattled speaks volumes about the danger this United attacker posed.
Everton might have taken the win, but the United star walked away with the biggest message of the night: next time Pickford sees him winding up for a shot, he’ll remember the rockets that nearly tore through him.
