ROY Keane has backed Burnley keeper Nick Pope in the debate surrounding Poland’s goal in England’s Wembley win.

After his ITV colleague Ian Wright pointed to Pope’s pass to John Stones that led to the Manchester City defender’s error and Jakub Moder’s convincing finish, Keane had his say on the Clarets shot-stopper who played in all three World Cup qualifiers with Jordan Pickford injured.

“I’m going to disagree with Wrighty, I don’t think it was the keeper’s fault,” Keane said.

“Okay, he didn’t give him a great ball but Stones is used to playing out from the back with Man City. Lack of concentration, Stones got bored.

“That’s why they gave away the goal. I wouldn’t blame the goalkeeper for that.”

Wright had said after the Three Lions’ 2-1 win: “I’m quite pleased with Pope getting his chances but what we saw with the way he passed that ball to John Stones, obviously John Stones is going to get the blame for it, there wasn’t a lot going on, for me it wasn’t a pass that he should have made.

“He passed it in a way that he had to deal with it. It was a poor decision for the goalkeeper to give him the ball in the first place.

“So I feel for him because he has had a great season and now people are going to judge him following that.”

Keane had previously called on England boss Gareth Southgate to make Pope his number one for this summer’s delayed European Championships.

“We used the word trust, trust in certain players in big games. I wouldn’t trust Pickford to go and try and win a big tournament,” Keane said after the Three Lions’ win in Albania.

“The big plus for Pope, obviously a very good goalkeeper, but I think he has got a great temperament about him. I look at Pickford and sometimes his head looks all over the place.

“I go back a few years to when Joe Hart was in goal and he seemed to be lively and giddy in the tunnel. But I look at Pope and think: ‘Nice temperament’.”