JORDAN PICKFORD admits he has had to learn how to deal with getting stick from Newcastle United supporters – but the Wearsider was delighted to have the last laugh at Goodison Park on Saturday night.

As is the case whenever he lines up against Newcastle, Pickford was jeered and booed by the travelling supporters throughout Everton’s game with the Magpies.

However, unlike on some previous occasions when he has lined up against Newcastle, the England goalkeeper kept his cool and did not allow the abuse from the stands to affect his performance.

Indeed, if anything, it seemed to inspire him as he capped a fine all-round display with a superb first-half penalty save from Anthony Gordon.

“I just crack on with my game,” said the former Sunderland shot-stopper, when asked about his relationship with the Newcastle fans. “I know they give me stick, but I stay focused.

“I’ve learned from the past. I stay focused and I just want to do my best for the badge. They can give me stick if they want, I’m only up the road from them.”

Pickford’s penalty save proved decisive as Everton held Newcastle to a goalless draw, with the 30-year-old guessing the right way as he tumbled to his left to save Gordon’s spot-kick.

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In truth, it was a poor penalty from Gordon, directed much too close to the keeper, but Pickford still had to get his timing right to keep the ball out.

Pickford spent much of the summer trying to stop spot-kicks as Gareth Southgate’s squad practised their penalty taking during training at the Euros, but the England number one did not feel his prior experience of lining up against Gordon was a decisive factor on Saturday night.

“I don’t really look into it too much like that,” said Pickford. “When we play for England and Ant has been here before, he’s executed his penalties perfectly. I just fancied it, and luckily, I went the right way.

“It was an alright penalty save, but it wasn’t a great pen from Ant I would say. I think he will be disappointed. But I’ve got to back myself and go the right way, which I did.”

Gordon’s Newcastle team-mates rallied around him after his penalty miss, with Harvey Barnes insisting the emotion of the Liverpudlian’s return to Goodison Park was not a factor in his failure to score from 12 yards.

“He’s (Gordon) been back a few times now,” said Barnes. “He knows the reaction he’s going to get, and he’s dealt with that before. And he did it again.”

With Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson unavailable, Gordon was once again forced to play as a ‘number nine’, something that does not necessarily come naturally to him.

“It changes the way we set up for sure when you’ve not got a natural number nine up there,” admitted Barnes. “I thought Ant did well there, but it is not his natural position. The team operates a bit differently, and maybe in those final actions, that natural instinct of a number nine can make it happen.”