Alan Stubbs chooses between Everton’s Jordan Pickford and Celtic’s Fraser Forster

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Fraser Forster has been exceptional since joining Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on loan from Premier League strugglers Southampton.

Celtic loanee Fraser Forster is better than £30 million Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and should be in line for an England re-call, Alan Stubbs has told the BBC.

A man who badly lost his way at Southampton, slipping to third in the pecking order at St Mary’s, has been in the form of his life since returning to former employers Celtic on a temporary basis over the summer.

Forster has produced a series of virtuoso performances for Neil Lennon’s side and was the hero of Hampden Park on Sunday. The giant glovesman made a whole host of saves, including one from an Alfredo Morelos penalty and one from a Ryan Jack thunderbolt, as The Hoops somehow managed to snatch the Scottish League Cup from under Rangers’ nose.

The 31-year-old’s exceptional displays have led some to suggest that a return to international contention after four years out of Gareth Southgate’s plans is on the cards, and Stubbs certainly believes that Forster has outshone England’s current incumbent this season.

“When you look at England’s current number one, Jason Pickford, Forster’s probably in better form,” said the former centre-back, who played for both Everton and Celtic from 1996 to 2005.

“So he just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing, performing very well, and if he does then I’ll be very surprised if a call-up is not coming for him very shortly. The saves he made (against Rangers) were nothing short of incredible at times.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Southampton tried to recall him, because they will be monitoring his progress. If I was Celtic, you would probably be trying to sign him sooner rather than later.”

Forster has been arguably the most in-form goalkeeper in Britain since returning to the club where he lifted three Scottish Premiership titles at the start of his career.

Not only did the 31-year-old single-handedly drag Celtic to a tenth successive domestic trophy, he was also arguably their star performer during the Europa League group stages too, making one brilliant reflex stop in the dying seconds of a famous home win against Lazio.