Gareth Southgate has revealed he called Jordan Pickford after his tackle on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Everton goalkeeper Pickford caught van Dijk with a dangerous tackle in the Merseyside derby last month, which left the Dutchman needing surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament.

"It was after the Liverpool game. I was just checking in," Southgate told a press conference of how he has handled the Everton shot-stopper's recent struggles.

"I recognised that it had been a very high-profile situation and there had been a lot of collateral fallout in a very public way so I just felt it would be an appropriate call to make to see how he was and if I could help him in any way really.

"When people say I've been loyal to him I mean he's deserved that. His performances have been excellent for us, so that's not been a difficult decision for me."