Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has made clear that he intends to keep improving upon his already impressive performances, stating that he is a "winner" after he helped his side to a 3-0 home win over fellow strugglers Hull City on Saturday afternoon.
Stopper insists Black Cats are good enough to remain in the top-flight
Pickford, who has received call-ups into the England squad in recent weeks, said that the Black Cats "just needed to click as a team and get that first win", adding that once everything does fall into place he believes they are "a good side".
The important thing for Sunderland now, Pickford says, is that they keep "building and building" upon their back-to-back wins that have lifted them off the bottom of the Premier League.
The England international was on top form once again on Saturday, with a stunning point blank save from a Hull corner with the score at 2-0 a particular highlight of the match for the 22-year-old.
Despite the club's poor start to the season, the Washington-born stopper firmly believes that "[Sunderland] are good enough to be in the Premier League" and that finally rising from rock bottom of the Premier League table has given the players "such a lift".
Return of Mannone provides competition
Now that his fellow goalkeeper Vito Mannone is back from an elbow injury that originally afforded Pickford his chance in the first-team, the youngster has plenty of competition with the Italian as well as summer signing Mika both vying for his number one spot.
"I like added competition" said Pickford, who cuts a confident figure with his impressive performances now being recognised both locally and nationally by various pundits and fans.
That confidence is on show both on and off the pitch, with Pickford keen to stress that he is "a winner at the end of the day" and that “if you keep putting me in the net, I will keep getting better and better".
Pickford and his Sunderland team-mates face perhaps their toughest test of the campaign so far this weekend as they face a trip to Anfield to face an in-form Liverpool side, and the Black Cats keeper will no doubt need to put in another top drawer performance if his side are to come away with anything.