TOM Heaton will probably have to watch on from the sidelines again for tonight's Euro 2016 qualifier in Slovenia, but the Burnley star had a better season than fellow England goalkeepers Joe Hart and Robert Green according to new statistics.

Heaton is in the England squad for the first time after impressing for the Clarets in the Premier League during the 2014/15 campaign, although he was an unused substitute in last weekend’s friendly in the Republic of Ireland.

Roy Hodgson’s side now face Slovenia in Ljubljana at 5pm tonight, with Manchester City keeper Hart again expected to start.

But statistics released this week rank Heaton above Hart and QPR’s Green during 2014/15.

Heaton is ranked ninth in the Premier League for the campaign, with Hart 10th and Green 11th.

The analysis from the Sporting Intelligence website is based on a number of different attributes.

Hart had the highest save percentage of the three keepers in the England squad, keeping out 69.1 per cent of shots during the Premier League season.

Heaton saved 98 of 151 shots, a percentage of 64.9 per cent, while Green kept out 63.9 per cent.

The Burnley keeper’s tally of 98 saves was the fourth highest in the Premier League behind Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski (126), Green (115) and West Ham’s Adrian (104).

Heaton, who was the only goalkeeper in the Premier League to feature in every minute of all 38 games, fared much better than Hart and Green in terms of aerial safety.

Heaton was successful in 106 of 108 attempts to catch crosses and opted to punch on only 12.1 per cent of occasions.

Hart punched 22.9 per cent of crosses, with Green punching 13.5 per cent.

That gave Heaton an aerial safety percentage of 94.1 per cent, with Green on 92.8 per cent and Hart on only 89.4 per cent.

It meant that Heaton’s overall ‘safe hands’ percentage for goalkeeping during 2014/15 was 79.4 per cent, with Hart on 79.2 per cent and Green on 78.4 per cent.

The leader of the Premier League rankings was Southampton’s Fraser Forster, who is currently absent from the England squad because of injury.

Sunderland’s Costel Pantilimon, Fabianski, Manchester United’s David de Gea and Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois made up the top five.

Heaton was ahead of Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris in the rankings, while Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet was last.

Heaton also placed 40th in the ranking of the goalkeepers from all of Europe’s top five leagues.

Borussia Monchengladbach’s Yann Sommer topped those rankings.