'Nobody I think is challenging seriously at the moment' - Gareth Southgate on Nick Pope's hopes of replacing Jordan Pickford as England number one

Pope claimed his third cap as he kept a clean sheet in the 3-0 friendly win over Wales last month, but Pickford returned for the Nations League games with Belgium and Denmark.

However, Pickford, whose club form has come in for criticism, was left out by Carlo Ancelotti for Everton's 2-1 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday, after 120 successive starts.

Pope, himself, has had a couple of rare off days this season, and Burnley boss Sean Dyche admitted yesterday: “A couple of ups and downs by his standards - equally I think he continues to mature.

"His starting position is getting better and better.

“His aggressive nature in coming to collect and deal with crosses improves all the time."

After announcing his squad to face the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland, Southgate was asked about Pickford and the battle for to be number one, and he said: "When people say I've been loyal to him, he has deserved that, his performances have been excellent for us.

"That's not been a difficult decision for me.

"We have some competition for places, but I'd have to say there's nobody I think is challenging seriously at the moment to push him out of that position."

Ancelotti had said he gave Robin Olsen a debut at St James' Park, as he was taking Pickford out of the firing line after a difficult few weeks, after his challenge on Virgil van Dijk in the Merseyside derby left the Dutch centre back with cruciate knee ligament damage.

Pickford has come in for some abuse on social media, and Ancelotti said: “I just want to give Jordan a rest for this game and to give an opportunity to Olsen, to have minutes. Jordan will be back for the next game against Manchester United.”

And Southgate added: "In terms of how his club are looking after him, he's got a hugely experienced manager, won everything in the game.

"He's in a very good place for that.

"In understand the passions when there's a local derby, and it's not for me to get involved in what happens between sets of fans with the rivalry.

"Andy abuse or threatening behaviour to anybody - we're seeing a lot of examples of this in various guises on social media, and that's a concern for everybody really."