Burnley transfer rumours: Clarets star touted as 'realistic' Newcastle United signing, Everton and West Ham told to pay £34m for player

The 29-year-old required surgery on a knee injury that had been sustained at the back end of the 2020-21 campaign, and was unable to join the Three Lions.

The Clarets’ two-time Player of the Year, who had previously pushed Manchester City’s Ederson all the way for the Golden Glove accolade, was in the stands as England featured in their first major tournament final since 1966.

But it’s not a case of having any regrets for Pope, who revealed that the option to undergo an operation was out of his hands. The former Charlton Athletic stopper confirmed that the choice he made was one out of necessity.

Burnley's English goalkeeper Nick Pope reacts during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Burnley at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on October 16, 2021.

“It wasn’t really a difficult decision because I couldn’t walk,” he said. “We gave it the best chance and I tried training on it after having a few weeks of rehabilitation and work on it and it just wasn’t possible, so it wasn’t really a decision, it was just something that had to be done.

“It was a really difficult time to go through it and it was disappointing. I made a decision and within 48 hours I was having surgery.

“That’s great for the injury but not so great for the realisation that I wasn’t going to be part of a home major tournament.”

Pope added: “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity so it was difficult, but it was something that had to be done. It was impossible for me to train or play so I wouldn’t have been much use in the squad anyway.

“Sometimes you need procedures done to help you perform at a high level. I tried to train before the game against Sheffield United and I couldn’t.

“That said it all for me, which was good because I had clarity in my mind. I knew it was the right decision; there were no ‘ifs’, ‘buts’, or ‘maybes’. It was something that had to be done.”