Sam Allardyce has backed Jordan Pickford for a bright future but warned him not to take his current form for granted.
The England youngster became the most expensive British goalkeeper ever in the summer when Everton paid Sunderland £30 million for his services.
That is a fee he has already gone a long way to repaying with a series of impressive performances despite the Blues struggles.
He continued his impressive form on Saturday with an inspired performance to earn his side a point against champions Chelsea.
The talk now is that Pickford should be England manager Gareth Southgate’s first choice for the World Cup in Russia this summer and Allardyce has warned him not to get ahead of himself.
“He’s a few years from his best if he wants to mature and learn and practice and practice,” said the Everton manager.
“If he thinks he’s made it and arrived and doesn’t do that practice then he’ll get caught out and won’t achieve what he can achieve. He can’t take it for granted.
“He’s got to maximise his talent by developing and we’ll help him with that.
“He’s got to be dedicated to take that development on board and achieve as much as he possibly can.
“I knew he was a talented goalkeeper that’s why I got him back at Sunderland when I was there. I have to say his growth is miraculously quick for a goalkeeper.
“He’s 23 going on 30, so he’s very mature for his age. He takes responsibility. He looks at me sometimes as if to say ‘what are you talking to me like that for, I’m a great goalkeeper’ which I quite like.
“He knows what he is and he’ll hopefully get as far as he can.”