£25m PL star Tottenham reportedly want once claimed he modelled his game on 2020 Mourinho signing

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It was reported this week that Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Jordan Pickford as Antonio Conte considers life after Hugo Lloris in North London.

Pickford has been a stalwart in the Premier League and for England for a number of years. Unsurprisingly, Everton have no intention of letting him leave on the cheap.

It was claimed that the Toffees would want more than £25 million for the 27-year-old.

He is a player who has come in for plenty of criticism during his career. And that may leave some Spurs fans wary of a potential move.

But perhaps, he may relish the chance to move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – as it may present him with the opportunity to succeed where his idol was unable to establish himself.

Joe Hart had a decent time at Spurs. He was signed to provide cover for Lloris. And he arguably did a reasonable job before he moved to Celtic in the summer.

Hart, unfortunately, has struggled to recapture the form from his peak. So it is easy to forget just how good he was at his best.

‘Tried to model myself a little bit like him’

Pickford has spoken of his admiration for Hart on a couple of occasions, sharing how he modelled his game on the 34-year-old in an interview with The Telegraph back in 2016.

“When Sunderland beat Man City 1-0, I asked for Hart’s shirt after the game,” he said.

“I’ve got it framed in my house. Every time I see him, we always speak to each other and he asks how I am doing. When he was younger, he was at Shrewsbury and he was going out on loan and playing. I’ve tried to model myself a little bit like him.”

He went on to reiterate his desire to emulate Hart the following year in an interview with former club Sunderland.

“I’ve always looked up to Harty as a young lad, and the way he’s gone about his football. When I was with him in the England squad I saw first hand what a top keeper he is so I’ll do well to get past him,” he suggested.

Could Pickford follow in footsteps of hero Hart and sign for Tottenham?

Pickford should be coming into his peak. He has matured in more recent times. And he looks to be a real leader at Everton.

There are still some areas for concern. And it is unlikely that a transfer will get unanimous support if Tottenham do indeed make a move.

But there is no question that he has a huge amount of potential. And he may feel that moving to Tottenham would provide him with a better opportunity to perhaps emulate Hart in another way and challenge for a Premier League title.