Quiet night for Burnley keeper Nick Pope for England

Nick Pope claimed his eighth cap against the Ivory Coast at Wembley, as he joined the legendary Colin McDonald as Burnley’s most-capped England keeper.
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However, in a routine 3-0 victory against the Elephants, and Clarets teammate Maxwel Cornet, it was a frustrating night for Pope, who barely touched the ball, never mind had anything to do in terms of trying to keep the ball out of his net.

He made it seven clean sheets in his eight caps, but did Gareth Southgate learn anything about him he didn’t know before this international camp?

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It is highly unlikely. Pope needs to show what he can do in competitive games against more testing opposition.

England's goalkeeper Nick Pope gestures during the international friendly football match between England and Ivory Coast at Wembley stadium in north London on March 29, 2022. - - NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)England's goalkeeper Nick Pope gestures during the international friendly football match between England and Ivory Coast at Wembley stadium in north London on March 29, 2022. - - NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
England's goalkeeper Nick Pope gestures during the international friendly football match between England and Ivory Coast at Wembley stadium in north London on March 29, 2022. - - NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Half his caps have come in ‘competitive’ games, but the first was effectively a dead rubber in Kazakhstan, with England already qualified for Euro 2020, before two games against San Marino and Albania in World Cup qualifying last March.

Later that week, in his third-successive start, Pope did play in a 2-1 win against Poland at Wembley, where England recovered from conceding an equaliser to take the points, but he has rarely been extended at international level.

Cornet, meanwhile, played in the number 10 role for Ivory Coast off Ajax striker Sebastien Haller, before reverting to left wing back after captain Serge Aurier collected his second yellow card before half-time, effectively ending the game as a contest.

Cornet had come on for the last six minutes against World Cup holders France in a 2-1 defeat in Marseille on Friday night.