Gareth Southgate has hailed former Carlisle United keeper Jordan Pickford's form ahead of England's massive Euro 2020 clash with Germany.

The Three Lions No1 kept three successive clean sheets in the group stage.

And the Everton keeper has earned praise from the national team boss ahead of Tuesday's huge last-16 tie at Wembley.

Southgate has highlighted particular aspects of Pickford's game when talking up the man who was at Brunton Park on loan from Sunderland back in 2014.

He told The Times : "He's been excellent.

"In the last couple of months of the season his performances have been very calm for his club.

"He’s been decisive at the right moments for us and has made good decisions with the ball at his feet.

"You’ve seen the range of passing he’s got. He’s dropped a few into the front players. He’s been able to play through the lines.

"He’s in a really good place and he’s given us a really solid start point for what has been strong defence from the whole team."

Pickford is only the second England goalkeeper in history to keep three clean sheets in the group stage of a major tournament - after Gordon Banks in 1966.

The 27-year-old, who kept out Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic, remains England's established No1, with Sam Johnstone and Aaron Ramsdale his understudies at Euro 2020.

The latter was called up after the injury-enforced withdrawal of Cumbrian star Dean Henderson.