JORDAN Pickford hopes that one day he will be in with a shout of starring for Sunderland.

For now, he needs to be a bawler as much as a 'baller as he continues to learn the ropes with City.

At 20, Pickford may be the youngest member of the Bantams’ back five but he is not afraid to let the rest know that he’s around.

“It’s your job to shout and make yourself heard,” he said. “If you don’t, you’ll be in the wrong.

“You have to be confident as a keeper and let the defenders know you’re coming for crosses. That’s what you have to do.

“The back four help me out and I try to do my best for them by dealing with crosses and making saves.”

Saturday’s loss to Yeovil came as a collective shock to the system but that has not put a downer on the Sunderland youngster’s first competitive month on loan.

Pickford has two clean sheets from his seven outings, both away, while conceding eight goals – six of them in three games at Valley Parade.

“I’m really enjoying it so far. We’ve played a lot of games together so I’m quickly getting used to the lads.

“Having Ben Williams here is a big help. He’s the experienced one out of the three of us goalkeepers.

“It’s all about learning for me and Matty (Urwin).

“Ben’s got over 400 games under his belt and I think I’ve got about 60 at the moment.

“But I want to stay in the side so I have to keep trying to up my game and do better each week.”

Pickford made his debut for Darlington as a 17-year-old before building his career with further temporary spells at Nicky Law’s Alfreton, Burton and Carlisle.

He added: “This is my fifth loan so I’m getting used to it now. Having those others behind me helped make me feel a lot more comfortable when I came straight in here.

“I knew what to expect so it was easier to settle in.”

Having signed a new four-year deal at the Stadium of Light in June, the England age-group keeper is seen as a potential long-term project with Sunderland. But they are monitoring his progress.

Pickford said: “Sunderland are keeping in touch regularly. They come to watch when they can and get the DVDs of my game clips.

“Obviously I’m their player at the end of the day and they want to see how I’m doing. For myself, I know I have to keep working hard to do well for Bradford.

“I want to do well for myself, it’s about my own development as a player. Hopefully one day it works out for me when I get back to Sunderland, whether that’s next season or whenever.”

The arrival of giant Romanian Costel Pantilimon from Manchester City in the summer to back up first-choice stopper Vito Mannone suggests the Black Cats are in no hurry to speed him along.

The young keeper is realistic enough to know that he is currently in the ideal place to progress.

“Hopefully I’ve got a good future ahead with Sunderland. They’ve got two really good keepers at the moment so I have to bide my time.

“This is the best thing for me to be playing as many games as I can.”

But Sunderland have still blocked Pickford from appearing in the main cup competitions as a precaution – at least, while they are also involved.

It meant he was reduced to spectating duties for the Capital One Cup wins over Morecambe and Leeds – and will not be involved at MK Dons later this month.

Missing out on the famous Valley Parade victory against Leeds must have been tough to take. But it’s not the biggest occasion when Pickford has been forced to look on from the stands.

An appearance in the first round for Burton at Sheffield United last season kyboshed any chance of being part of the Sunderland squad that ran Man City so close in the final.

“Obviously I couldn’t be on the bench at Wembley so it’s not new to me,” he added. “The Leeds game was a big thing round here but I can understand Sunderland want to cover their back for injuries.”