Tom Heaton appreciates England recall

LONDON: England will pay tribute to goalkeeping great Gordon Banks at Wembley today (Friday) when Tom Heaton will return to the squad having heeded the advice given to him by the World Cup-winning “hero”.

A sell-out crowd will remember the 1966 star when Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions kick off their Euro 2020 qualification campaign against the Czech Republic. There will be a period of appreciation in England’s first match since Banks died aged 81 on February 12, with players to wear black armbands and a banner to be displayed featuring his yellow World Cup shirt and the number one.

Members of his family will be in the Royal Box and representatives from his former club Stoke have been invited to a match that will see their current goalkeeper Jack Butland involved. Last summer’s World Cup number one Jordan Pickford and Burnley’s Heaton complete the group, with the latter praising

Banks’ performances on the field and help away from it in the build-up.

“The fact he was England’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper and made the iconic save, of course, 70-odd caps for England was an incredible achievement,” Heaton said. “I was fortunate to meet him a while ago at my dad’s golf course. I had a quick chat with him and he was brilliant towards a young goalkeeper at the time.”

Heaton has certainly benefited from that advice in recent years. Having gone to Euro 2016 and established himself as part of the squad, the 32-year-old’s World Cup hopes were derailed at the start of the 2017-18 season by a nasty shoulder injury.

Heaton watched on as Burnley understudy Nick Pope broke into the England set-up and capped a fine season by heading to Russia, with club competition then increased by Joe Hart’s summer arrival.

It meant the former Manchester United youth prospect had to bide his time on the sidelines, although his impressive return to the fold at Turf Moor brought an international recall for this month’s Euro 2020 qualifiers. Heaton’s return to the England squad comes with arguably the first calls for him to be England’s number one, thanks to Pickford’s recent wobbles.

The Everton goalkeeper’s penalty shootout heroics against Colombia capped a fine all-round tournament, but the 25-year-old’s form has been questionable with the Toffees.

Heaton has not spoken about it with Pickford but does not believe he would “bat an eyelid” about the scrutiny.