Moscow • Jordan Pickford’s journey to Luzhniki Stadium for England’s World Cup semifinal against Croatia on Wednesday passed through Haig Avenue, a century-old stadium in seaside Southport, England, with seating capacity for 1,600 and standing room for twice as many.
It stopped at a venue called The Lamb Ground, on a plot in Tamworth once used for a pig farm. In Braintree, he performed in front of 409 souls.
Four years ago, Harry Maguire and Dele Alli were playing in England’s third-tier League One. Long before finding his way to the Premier League, Jamie Vardy toiled in the fifth division, one step above Pickford.