RALPH Hasenhuttl revealed he had a "good conversation" with Alex McCarthy after dropping the goalkeeper to the bench against Everton.

There had been calls for the one-time England international to be given the opportunity to add to his solitary cap earlier this season after a string of scintillating displays for Saints.

However, he found himself left out on Monday having conceded 18 goals in his past five games, with Fraser Forster preferred against the Toffees.

It was just the second time the former the former Crystal Palace and Reading stopper had not started a Premier League game for Saints this term, the other coming in January as he recovered from coronavirus.

Asked how McCarthy has responded to being left out at Goodison Park, Hasenhuttl said: "He reacted quite well. We had a good conversation. He knows that I trusted him and give him also a chance when he had not played a perfect game.

"There were a few, especially Newcastle for example, where he was responsible for the third goal. But this is not the key. We all make mistakes.

"We all have time where it works well, we all have time where we make a few more mistakes than the others and then you have to go in a dual with the other one and then he gets a chance.

"He was one time in this situation and he reacted very well and fought back and became the number one. With the goalie you not normally changing so often, but because we are still part of two competitions, there is always an opportunity to do this and therefore we need two goalkeepers and I’m happy I have two good ones."