England Manager Gareth Southgate Reveals He Has Secretly Decided on His First Choice Goalkeeper

Gareth Southgate has already decided that Jordan Pickford will be England's first choice goalkeeper this summer but the 47-year-old is yet to tell the rest of his squad, according to reports.

The Everton shot stopper was set to go head to head with Stoke City star Jack Butland and Burnley's Nick Pope in a three-way battle for the No. 1 shirt at the World Cup in Russia after Joe Hart was left out of the Three Lions squad.

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But Southgate has already made up his mind over who will start in between the sticks this summer and the England boss admitted that all will become clear in the build-up to the competition.

"It will become apparent over the next five days," Southgate said, quoted by the Mirror. "I haven’t had the conversation with the players yet and I think that is more important.

"They are inexperienced in terms of senior international games but Pickford and Butland have the perfect path in terms of junior international tournaments and a lot of Premier League football under their belt.

"When I look at [Manuel] Neuer and [David] De Gea at the age they went in our guys are in a similar sort of situation and you only get them that experience by giving them that opportunity."

The mood surrounding England's pre-World Cup camp has been all too familiar for fans across the country in the build up to a major competition. With expectations already low for Russia, much of the tabloid discussion has disappointingly been centred around Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling.