Everton have brutally called out Lee Dixon following his statement about Jordan Pickford on England commentary.
Dixon was working on the Three Lions' 5-0 win over Latvia on Tuesday that saw them secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
England cruised to victory on Tuesday night
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England cruised to victory on Tuesday nightCredit: Getty
During coverage of Thomas Tuchel's side's success, the Arsenal legend discussed goalkeeper Pickford and his club.
He appeared to question why the shot-stopper had not made a move to a 'bigger club' and left Everton.
Pickford locked down his spot as England's No.1 under Gareth Southgate and he's become a mainstay in his country's side.
The 31-year-old made history last weekend by keeping a seventh straight clean sheet, before extending that to eight against Latvia.
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He has also been one of the most consistent performers between the sticks in the Premier League since joining the Toffees.
That form has clearly led to Dixon's surprise that he had not decided to move away from his club and play at a higher level.
However, his comments have received backlash from Everton themselves, as they posted some stats on social media.
Straight after Dixon's 'bigger club' statement, they wrote on X: “9 top-flight titles, 5 FA Cups, 1 European title, one of football’s most passionate fanbases, a world-class new stadium.
“Everton FC – a big club: past, present & future, @LeeDixon2.”
The Toffees have won the fourth-most top-flight titles in English football history, behind only Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Pickford's decision to remain at Everton has been questioned by Dixon
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Pickford's decision to remain at Everton has been questioned by DixonCredit: Getty
They are also in the top ten for the most FA Cup wins ever and, as mentioned in their social media post, they have just moved into their new 52,000-seat Hill Dickinson Stadium.
That means they are now playing their home games in the seventh biggest ground in the Premier League.
Despite this though, Everton have been struggling to compete at the highest level over the last seven years or so.
The last time the club played in Europe was in the 2017/18 season.
And on top of that, the Toffees' last trophy of any kind came 30 years ago when they lifted the FA Cup in 1995.
Meanwhile, for Pickford himself, he has never won silverware in his professional career for Sunderland, Everton or England.
Pickford has played over 300 games for Everton and is set for a new contract
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Pickford has played over 300 games for Everton and is set for a new contractCredit: Getty
Going nowhere
Dixon may be questioning why Pickford stays at Everton, but the goalkeeper certainly doesn't doubt his decision.
talkSPORT understands that he is on the brink of signing a new four-year contract extension at the club this week.
That will extend his stay in Merseyside to 12 years should he remain at the Toffees for the entirety of that new deal.
Pickford was asked about his contract talks before England beat Latvia, saying: “Obviously, everyone knows how happy I am at Everton, but I’m not going to go too much into it.
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“I’ve got my England head on for the next two days.
"I just want to get the qualification, get the win tomorrow and hopefully get another cap and hit number 80. That’s my sole focus at the minute.”