Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has sympathy for axed Liverpool counterpart Simon Mignolet.

Mignolet was dropped from the Liverpool team to face Manchester United last weekend, with Brad Jones coming in, and Howard has warned him it will be a "hard road back".

"I know he is a Red but I feel for Simon. It is hard being a goalkeeper," said the American, speaking at the launch of his autobiography 'The Keeper: A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them'.

"The phrase is taking the goalkeeper out of the spotlight but actually it sheds more light on them.

"It is not easy. It is a confidence position and when you take him out of the team and then bring him back do the team and fans have confidence in him?

"You have to appreciate with a goalkeeper there are going to be ups and downs especially in this league because it is so fast and rough.

"To be honest I think it is hard road back when you get taken out of the team.

"Sometimes there is no way back. It is unfortunate for a goalkeeper but that is the way it is: you cannot come on and play the last 20-30 minutes and put a good shift in.

"It is all or nothing with goalkeeping."