Jordan Pickford hits back at Courtois' claim he is 'too small' after penalty heroics

The Everton goalkeeper was mocked by Belgium - and Chelsea - stopper Thibaut Courtois after failing to stop Adnan Januzaj's winning goal in the final group game against Roberto Martinez's men.

Courtois said afterwards: "The goalkeeper is 10cm smaller than me. I would have caught it. He was too busy throwing his legs in the air."

But Pickford, who palmed away a shot from Carlos Bacca after Mateus Uribe had hit the woodwork before Eric Dier slotted home the winning kick in the shootout, said he had done his homework to try not to follow a succession of England goalkeepers to walk off the loser after a shootout. And he also hit back at his rival.

"I did all my research. I've got power and agility. I don't care if I'm not the biggest keeper because it's about being there in the moment and making the save and I was," he said.

Dier, who had to step up fifth in the shootout after coming on as a substitute, confessed: "It was a nervous one. I've never really been in a situation like that before but felt I had to score after missing the header at the end so I'm just thankful I scored."

Captain Harry Kane, who scored the penalty that put England 1-0 up in the second half and also converted the first spot kick in the shootout, said England showed great character after conceding at the death.

"We are so unlucky not to go through in 90 minutes," he said.

But he added: "No-one laid on the floor and we stood there when it counted... It was a big night for England. In the shootout we had to stand up and that's what we have done."