Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has completed a £30 million move to Premier League club Everton.
The 23-year-old has signed a five-year deal with the Toffees.
A product of Sunderland’s highly rated Academy, Pickford joined the Black Cats at eight years old. Identified as a prodigious talent by the coaching staff, he progressed through the club’s youth ranks before signing his first professional contract in 2011.
As part of his development programme, he enjoyed loan spells at Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City and most recently, Preston North End, before making his Premier League debut in January 2016. Pickford became a mainstay of the Sunderland side during the 2016-17 season, chalking up 29 appearances.
He has represented England from at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 , under-20 and under-21 levels, also earning a call up to the full international squad last season.
Chief executive Martin Bain said: “Our aim is to produce more players of the calibre of Jordan in the future. His development is testament to our Academy set up and its hard-working staff, past and present, who identified and nurtured his exceptional talent.
“Everyone at Sunderland wishes Jordan every success in the next stage of his career, which we will follow keenly”.
