Sam Allardyce has given some very solid advice to Jordan Pickford after a video appearing to show the Everton goalkeeper involved in a fracas outside a bar emerged online.
The incident is believed to have taken place after the England shot-stopper was mocked by people on a night out in his home town.
Former Blues and England manager Allardyce explained that football players are taught not to go out in places like this and advised Pickford to "pick better places to go out".
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"Players are taught not to go into places like that," he told talkSPORT.
"When you decide to go out you pick a much better place suited to you and your wife.
"You don't go out in the middle of town again or anymore or ever again and you learn from your mistakes.
"Jordan has to learn from his mistakes."
In one video members of the public could be heard shouting ‘butterfingers’, ‘small arms’ and saying that Pickford ‘could not catch a ball’.
Separate videos have surfaced online which appear to then show the Everton goalkeeper in a tussle outside a bar, understood to be P’s & Q’s in Sunderland.
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Allardyce said: "In terms of what he is like and what his social life is like - I know this guy and brought him back to Sunderland from a loan spell at Preston where he was outstanding at the time.
"He went on and then I looked after him at Everton and he got in the England team and World Cup team and that puts you under more light and more scrutiny at 23 years old.
"He's a fantastic goalkeeper, the character is why he is as good a goalkeeper as he is. If you break that character then you may lose the player.
"Many years ago it was said he was like Roy Keane for his discipline - he won't be the same player if you don't allow him to be that.
"You get punished for what you do, you accept that punishment, learn from it and move on.
"As time goes on you don't recommit those offences, if you like.
"Jordan is the character he is and the goalkeeper he is, and that character means that he likes to go out.
"Jordan's character is why he is such a good goalkeeper."
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 2, 2019
"He won't be the same player if you don't allow him to be that character."
"He just needs to choose better places to go out & make better decisions."
Sam Allardyce defends @JPickford1 over alleged fracas on a night out. pic.twitter.com/uSOhbu8ACl
"However he must choose better places to go - there is only one loser and that's him.
"He must take notice of what has happened and look after himself better.
"At Premier League football clubs there is a huge amount of help for players if they want to take it.
"Sometimes I think a player maybe better taking his own life coach outside of football to have a few sessions to evolve better and make better choices and better decisions."
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Further footage shows a man in a white t-shirt throwing a punch at another man before being restrained by three members of the public.
The man in the white shirt is then seen being led to the side, away from the growing crowds.
An Everton spokesperson told the ECHO : “The Club has been made aware of an alleged incident involving one of our players and we are looking into the matter.”
