SEAN Dyche admits he didn't envisage Nick Pope's meteoric rise this season - but is now relishing the competition between him and Tom Heaton.

Pope is set to be watched by England boss Gareth Southgate for the second successive weekend as talk of a call-up for the Three Lions for this month's friendlies with Holland and Italy grow.

An international call would cap an incredible six months for the 25-year-old, who hadn't kicked a ball in the Premier League before replacing the injured Heaton during the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Since then he has turned in a string of fine displays and could now be set to follow club captain Heaton into the England set-up.

Asked if he foresaw this scenario when Pope came off the bench against Palace, Dyche said: "No, I think he’s done very, very well. I expected him to come in and do well enough but I think he’s done even better than I thought.

"That’s not because I didn’t think he was a good goalkeeper, it’s because it’s very difficult in the Premier League, it’s difficult to judge which players can go straight in.

"There's some who you think over time will be a very good Premier League player, but they have to come in and out a little bit, I think Charlie (Taylor) is like that.

"Others take it and get on with it and it works for them and Popey has done that, he’s come straight in and he’s delivered."

The former Charlton Athletic goalkeeper, who had only 33 Championship appearances to his name before moving to Turf Moor in the summer of 2016, has delivered to the extent that he is now considered a realistic candidate to fill one of England's three goalkeeping spots for the World Cup in Russia.

Dyche believes the lack of options available to Southgate leads him to consider anyone playing regularly in the top flight and he backed Pope to make it with the Three Lions.

"I think the way the England picture is is that everyone is considered who is performing well, everyone is considered who is widely spoken about as doing well," the Clarets chief said.

"The thing that has changed on the international scene is that the depth is not there anymore. When I was growing up there was a huge number of players who were active at the top level, now it’s not so.

"So anyone who is playing regularly in the Premier League will be considered, there’s only so many players who are playing and only so many out of them who are playing well.

"That’s my overall opinion, and as the manager I am bound to be biased and say he should be considered, as should Tarky (James Tarkowski), Ben Mee and the others."

If Pope makes it into the England squad Dyche could soon have two England goalkeepers on the books at Turf Moor.

Heaton came through a second behind-closed-doors game in midweek and although he is unlikely to make the squad for the clash with Everton this weekend he is close to challenging Pope for the gloves.

But Dyche dismissed suggestions that could leave him with a headache in the summer with both goalkeepers keen to be playing regularly to stay in the international picture.

"That’s exactly what you want, every manager will tell you you want true competition, I’ve spoken about it endlessly this season because is the first time we’ve had real top end competition," he said.

"We’ve got positions where everyone has someone vying for that position. There’s that in-house competition and I think that’s a really important thing, it keeps them sharp and it adds competition because everyone wants to play."