Heaton giving Southgate selection dilemma

Sean Dyche feels captain Tom Heaton is giving England interim boss Gareth Southgate a nice selection headache.
Tom HeatonTom Heaton
Tom Heaton

But Dyche is more concerned with Heaton maintaining his superb form with his club, than his international future.

Heaton turned in one of the great goalkeeping displays at Old Trafford on Saturday against his former club Manchester United, helping earn Burnley's first point on the road in the Premier League this season.

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He has played only three minutes for his country so far, against Australia in the summer, but has been a fixture in the squad since last May, and, asked whether Heaton deserves more game time with England, Dyche said: "I think they will have a decision to make.

"They will do whatever they see fit.

"I can't concern myself with the bigger picture of Tom.

"I can only concern myself with what he does for us.

"His belief in keeping the ball out of the net is massive for keepers. I speak to my keepers all the time and tell them they have got to go for everything, believing you will save it and then no surprise when you do save it.

"I think that's a massive thing which works with keepers and he's certainly done that over the two, three years I've had him."

Dyche feels Heaton has similar attributes to United custodian David De Gea: "I said he's got demands of himself like De Gea. I don't know De Gea, but I get the feeling that he's always focused, concentrated on the game, has clean hands can make saves. There's an alignment with that type of goalkeeper.

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"I'm not saying he's as good as him or not as good as him, but I just think he continues to learn and continues to progress and it was a great decision by the manager three years ago to bring him in after getting relegated with Bristol City. Sometimes you get them right."