Pickford, since his return from Russia as a national hero, has been starring for an improving Everton team and, inset, helping with community initiatives

‘Once Everton’s touched you, nothing will be the same,” the late, great Alan Ball once remarked. Ball was talking about the passion of Goodison Park and pride in that royal blue shirt, but also about a sense of identity and duty at Everton that extends beyond matchday, to serving the local community.

There are many ways to judge the size and substance of a club. It is not all about the metrics of performances, results and trophies. It is also about the emotion of a club’s support, their values and their heart. It is about caring for people as Everton do, using the power of football to help the vulnerable and needy.

It is why Jordan Pickford, the Everton goalkeeper, became even more involved in