Jordan Pickford remains England’s established No. 1 goalkeeper, with 91 senior caps and 46 clean sheets for the Three Lions. At 32, he still has time left at the top level, but his nation will eventually need to identify the goalkeeper capable of taking over from him.
Thomas Tuchel already has several goalkeepers competing to become Pickford's long-term successor. James Trafford has made his senior debut and was included in the 2026 World Cup squad, while Dean Henderson has tournament experience and remains another option when fit.
This ranking assesses the five English goalkeepers with the most realistic paths to eventually replacing Pickford, based on current club football, international experience, age, and development.
5. Anthony Patterson
Anthony Patterson has the least convincing current succession case among the five. The relevant goalkeeper is Sunderland academy product Anthony Patterson. Patterson completed a permanent move from Sunderland to Wrexham in August 2026.
Signing a four-year contract with the Championship club. The move has at least given Patterson regular football in the Championship.
Wrexham’s submitted squad list includes him, while ESPN’s available 2026-27 figures credit him with eight Championship appearances, 22 saves, 12 goals conceded and two clean sheets. Patterson has made a positive start in terms of involvement.
ESPN’s match log records a clean sheet in Wrexham’s 3-0 win over Millwall, alongside earlier appearances against Cardiff City and Birmingham City. The current situation is more encouraging than Patterson’s position earlier in 2026, when his playing time at Sunderland was limited.
His move gives him another opportunity to establish himself as a regular first-team goalkeeper. He still has no verified senior England cap or recent senior squad selection. His youth international record has also not been confirmed.
The Championship provides a useful platform, but Patterson needs a sustained run of form and further progression towards Premier League football before he can be considered a realistic England No. 1 candidate.
4. Tommy Setford
Tommy Setford’s main case is his age and international development, with his current level of senior football still to be established. The 20-year-old Arsenal goalkeeper joined Stevenage on loan for the 2026–27 season.
Arsenal confirmed the move and reported on his early involvement after the transfer. Setford has started three League One matches in ESPN’s available record. He has conceded three goals and made three saves, with no clean sheet in those appearances.
His most recent listed appearance was a 1-0 defeat by Leyton Orient. Setford has only just begun his first substantial senior loan, and regular competitive football will give him the experience needed to continue his development.
Setford has a strong England youth pathway. He has represented the Under-20s and Under-21s and was included in England’s latest Under-21 squad. The Under-21 match report also listed him as the starter against Slovakia in November 2025.
Setford’s route to becoming Pickford’s successor is still a long one. He has no senior England cap, no established Premier League record, and only a small sample of League One football.
His next step is to progress through the EFL and eventually establish himself as a regular at the highest domestic level.
The Stevenage loan allows him to begin that progression, but his current position makes him a developmental candidate rather than a near-term England alternative.
3. Carl Rushworth
Carl Rushworth has strengthened his case to become an England goalkeeper by moving from the Championship into regular Premier League football. He played all 46 Championship matches for Coventry City in 2025–26 and kept 17 clean sheets as the club won promotion.
BBC Sport reported that Rushworth was an important part of Coventry’s return to the top flight. Coventry then completed a permanent deal for the 25-year-old goalkeeper. BBC Sport described the move as a club-record signing.
Brighton confirmed Rushworth had left on a permanent basis. His start to life in the Premier League has been mixed. According to Sports Mole, he conceded 10 goals in Coventry’s first four matches before keeping his first top-flight clean sheet in a 1-0 win away to Nottingham Forest.
The match also highlighted Rushworth’s distribution. His long pass created Jay Dasilva’s winning goal. He still has no verified senior England cap, and his Premier League experience remains limited.
England Football has identified him as a former Under-21 international, although his exact youth appearance total has not been confirmed.
Rushworth now has the club platform he needed. If he can maintain his place, reduce Coventry’s goals conceded and produce consistently against Premier League opposition, his international case will become stronger.
His current level gives him a clearer route than Setford or Patterson, but he remains behind the two goalkeepers already closest to the senior England team.
2. Dean Henderson
Dean Henderson remains the strongest short-term alternative to Pickford. Crystal Palace confirmed that Henderson has made 119 appearances and kept 38 clean sheets for the club.
Secondary statistical data credit him with 37 Premier League appearances and 11 clean sheets during the 2025–26 season.
Henderson also gained World Cup experience with England in 2026. He started the 6-4 victory over France in the third-place match, making his first appearance at a World Cup. England Football recorded five saves for Henderson in the game.
Palace’s post-World Cup tracker lists Henderson with six senior England caps. An earlier Palace announcement listed five, but the later figure includes his appearance against France. His current club situation has been affected by injury.
Palace manager Pierre Sage said Henderson had been managing an ankle problem and would not return until after the international break. Palace later confirmed that the injury would keep him out for 30 days.
The injury has interrupted Henderson’s start to the campaign and ruled him out of England’s latest squad. Thomas Tuchel selected Pickford, Jason Steele and James Trafford instead. Henderson’s previous level gives him a route back into the England picture.
He is an established Premier League starter, Palace’s captain, and has senior tournament experience. His long-term path is different from Trafford’s. Henderson is 29 and has six senior England caps, while Trafford is younger and has more time to develop.
For England, Henderson offers experience at the top domestic level now, while Trafford has a longer window to develop into a first-choice goalkeeper.
1. James Trafford
James Trafford has the strongest overall case to eventually replace Pickford because he combines regular Premier League football with senior England experience and a longer development window. Trafford is 23 and has become Leeds United’s first-choice goalkeeper.
The Premier League lists him in Leeds’ 2026–27 squad, and he has started the club’s opening matches of the season. His recent performances have strengthened his position.
Trafford made five saves in Leeds’ goalless draw with Crystal Palace, including a low stop from a free-kick that BBC Sport identified as an important moment in the match.
Trafford has made five appearances in all competitions and kept two clean sheets, including against Crystal Palace. He has made 20 saves and conceded three goals across his five league appearances. Trafford’s England pathway is already well established for his age.
He made his senior debut against Uruguay in March 2026, and England Football lists him with two caps and one clean sheet. Trafford was also included in England’s 2026 World Cup squad and selected for the latest senior squad alongside Pickford and Steele.
He still needs a longer run of Premier League football before his position as Pickford’s long-term successor can be properly assessed. Two senior caps do not match Pickford’s experience, and a strong start to the season still needs to be followed by consistency.
Henderson currently has more senior and tournament experience, while Trafford is younger and already playing regularly in the Premier League. His age, current club level, and involvement with England give him a clear path to continue developing into a future first-choice goalkeeper.
