Aaron Ramsdale has shot down the idea that he is England's No 2 to Jordan Pickford, with the Arsenal goalkeeper having his eye son being No 1.
The Gunners man earned his second senior cap under Gareth Southgate after starting against Italy at Molineux in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday, and kept a clean sheet as the two teams played out a goalless draw in a rematch of the Euro 2020 final.
With the Qatar 2022 World Cup looming, Southgate is using the chance to examine every option possible for his squad, although Everton goalkeeper Pickford seems assured of the starting jersey in goal - but now Ramsdale has baulked at the suggestion that he is merely a fix to play second fiddle to him.
Where does Ramsdale believe he stands for England?
“By no means I am second choice,” Ramsdale told talkSPORT. “I am pushing me, I am pushing him [Pickford].
"If I can put performances in like that a little bit more when I get the chance, I think I will be pushing him all the way.
“The challenge is amazing and trying to put in performances like that whenever I play will only push Jordan. I was happy with a few saves and the clean sheet.”
How long has Pickford been England's number one?
If Ramsdale is to unseat his international colleague to be the first name on the team-sheet, he faces a hard test to dislodge Pickford, one of the mainstays of the Southgate era.
First called into the senior international fold in 2017, the Everton goalkeeper succeeded Joe Hart as England's shot stopper in the run-up to Russia 2018.
A series of superb performances during the tournament - including an iconic penalty save against Colombia in the round-of-16 - effectively sealed his spot as his manager's first-choice pick, a position cemented by an even better Euro 2020 campaign last summer.