Everton goalkeeper coach Alan Kelly says high-profile charge Jordan Pickford is “embracing leadership” in his number-one role for Club and country.

Former Republic of Ireland international Kelly originally worked with Pickford when the Wearsider was on loan at Preston North End six years ago.

He is closing on two years in charge of Everton’s First-Team keepers – and relishing the hands-on and “demanding” management of Rafael Benitez, who “wants to be involved in everything that will affect his team on a Saturday”.

Pickford, a star of England’s European Championship final campaign this summer, is set to add to his 39 caps in Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra at Wembley.

Additionally, the 27-year-old is in line for his 150^th Everton Premier League appearance when Benitez’s team go to Aston Villa this month.

“You saw the consistency of performances from Jordan last season and how that followed to the Euros and his [increasing] stature,” Kelly told evertontv.

“He is embracing leadership.

“That comes in many forms. It can be in the dressing room before games or on the pitch, organising and demanding from other people.

“He is getting older and is a parent and life situations change you as a person.

“It is maturity, in terms of life experience.

“He has a body of experience with Everton and England and that allows you to cope with situations on and off the pitch.”

Pickford joined Everton from Sunderland prior to 2017/18 and kept a clean sheet on his senior England debut early in the player’s opening Goodison Park campaign.

He’s resisted every challenge for the Three Lions jersey in the intervening period – Pickford has 20 clean sheets for his country – and established himself as a cornerstone of Everton’s team.

Pickford’s more measured outlook, according to Kelly, is evident in both training and games.

“It is his decision making [that has improved]," said Kelly.

“When you have experience and a bit more maturity, you are able to look through situations and react differently from how you used to.

“In a football club, you have all these personalities together and have to learn how deal with success and failure.

“Jordan has always been a bubbly character and hard worker and that’s not changed from his Preston days.

“He doesn’t have an ego, he is an international but doesn’t care if he goes first or last in training.

“I’ve been in situations where the number one demands he goes first in everything but Jordan is great to work with.”

Kelly's professional appreciation of Pickford is reciprocated, with the Everton number one routinely singling out his coach for praise following notable performances.

The keys to challenging and improving players, says Kelly, lie in searching out fresh information and methods and ensuing that if training doesn't exactly replicate matches it is as near as dammit.

It is an approach that chimes with meticulous Everton boss Benitez.

“I like to create an environment where people enjoy work and get something from it,” said Kelly.

“It is reality based – if you create a scenario in training, then it happens in a game, it backs up that relationship where you are tying to give the player situations to help them in the match.

“The manager here involves us [coaches] and is continually questioning everybody, trying to improve performances and improve players and staff.

“You are engaged and can bring something to the table and have discussions.

“That is a very healthy working environment and it is good to be put under pressure to do your job.”

Kelly, whose keeper group also includes Asmir Begovic, Andy Lonergan and 19-year-old Harry Tyrer, added: “The first thing in this job is to understand what the manager wants from you as a coach but also what he wants from the keepers in a game.

“That understanding enables me to communicate those demands to the keepers.

“He [Benitez] is actively involved in that.

“It is not a case of leaving you in the corner and letting you get on with it.

"He wants to be involved in every facet that will affect his team on a Saturday.

“It is about including the goalkeepers because if you haven’t got a goalkeeper, you can’t win a game.”