Jordan Pickford’s family name changed after awful bullying at school
England stars can spend their lives in the biggest of spotlights yet interesting details about their lives can still escape your attention.
Like, did you know Three Lions midfielders Elliot Anderson and Kobbie Mainoo both have famous older brothers?
Wil Anderson is a boxer who has competed for Misfits while Jordan Mainoo-Hames works in the fashion industry.
In an even more intriguing quirk, both men have appeared on Love Island, with Wil Anderson even meeting his fiance, Uma Jammeh, in the famous Mallorca villa.
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There are notable siblings all over the England team, with the hero in Mexico Jude Bellingham's brother, Jobe, a footballer for Borussia Dortmund, Harry Kane's brother, Charlie, his agent, and the sister of Djed Spence, Karla-Simone Spence, is an actor.
Jordan Pickford has a brother, too, who helped shape him into the goalkeeper he is today.
However, Pickford's real family name isn't actually Pickford, or at least it didn't used to be.
Jordan Pickford's family name was changed by his dad
Pickford has become an iconic face of the Three Lions over the last eight years, with the goalkeeper being the No.1 choice in between the sticks for every tournament since the 2018 World Cup.
His latest masterclass came in the remarkable victory over Mexico, in which he hit more upper cuts than Tyson Fury as he punched ball after ball out of his box.
Yet, the name on the back of his shirt could have been completely different.
That's because his father, Lee, was actually born and grew up as Lee Pigford. A subtle but sizeable difference.
No one ever accused kids of being slow on the uptake when it comes to mercilessly honing in on a name that can be used for bullying purposes, as every Danny knows, and Lee felt the full brunt of it.
He was mocked for his surname as a youngster, with bullies meanly calling him 'Piggy'.
So much so that Lee decided to put a stop to it, and save any of his future children from a similar fate, by legally changing his name by deed poll while still at school. Thus, the Pickford legacy was formed.
In a further twist, Pickford could have even been known as another name, as he was born Jordan Lee Logan, his mother's last name. It was changed to Pickford five years later.
Pickford's grandfather, Barrie, stuck with the Pigford name, though, and told the Daily Mail in 2018: “I'm over the moon for him, I am. I never thought he would play for England. It is the best thing he did leaving Sunderland – going to Everton was a good thing for him. He's doing good, I'm pleased for him. He's six foot four, so he's a big lad, but he's quiet.
“He doesn't brag or nothing. When he comes home he is the same as normal. He's a quiet kid really. I think the world of him.”
Pickford credits his older brother for sparking his fantastic career as a goalkeeper, as he always used to make him go in net when they were kids.
Speaking in 2018, Pickford told the BBC: "I remember going playing outside with my brother, he was throwing me in goal because he's six years older than me.
"It was brilliant, I was just diving about on the tarmac, that's how I became a goalkeeper."
England's 2026 World Cup squad
Forwards
9 - Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
7 - Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
18 - Anthony Gordon (Barcelona)
20 - Noni Madueke (Arsenal)
11 - Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United)
22 - Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)
19 - Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Midfielders
4 - Declan Rice (Arsenal)
8 - Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
10 - Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
21 - Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
14 - Jordan Henderson (Brentford)
16 - Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
17 - Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Defenders
3 - Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City)
5 - John Stones (Manchester City)
2 - Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
6 - Marc Guéhi (Manchester City)
15 - Dan Burn (Newcastle United)
24 - Reece James (Chelsea)
12 - Trevor Chalobah (Chelsea)
26 - Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
25 - Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
Goalkeepers
1 - Jordan Pickford (Everton)
13 - Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
22 - James Trafford (Manchester City)
Daniel Murphy