Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has told reporters that he is giving it his all to become England manager Gareth Southgate's first-choice keeper ahead of the World Cup in Russia this summer.

Pickford joined Everton for a fee of £25m from Sunderland last summer, and has kept seven clean sheets so far in their Premier League campaign this season.

However, the 24-year-old faces competition from Manchester City's Joe Hart, who is on loan to West Ham United, as well as Stoke City's Jack Butland and Burnley's Nick Pope.

"All I can do is keep putting in the hard work and putting in performances each week and in each game," Pickford told the Sunderland Echo.

"That starts on the training ground and in the gym and also the nutritional side of the game, to give myself the best opportunity to become the best I can be.

"Hopefully that will help me to become England's number one. That's what I want to be, I would be lying if I said I didn't want it. Hopefully I can get on the plane – that's the first aim – and then go from there."

England face the Netherlands and Italy during the international break, with Pickford being named in the squad for both games.