Ronald Koeman praised Wayne Rooney for showing “world class” composure to score a last gasp penalty which may have saved the Everton manager’s job.

Under-pressure Koeman was facing another defeat until Everton were gifted a spot kick and Rooney stepped up to salvage a point at Brighton.

Everton boss Koeman said: “Taking penalties is not the most difficult job but at this moment yes, because it’s totally different, it’s 1-0 down in a difficult situation and and team needs points.

"If you keep your calmness in these types of situations that is experience and world class.

“You need to fight and play well. Let’s hope that point of today gives the boys confidence and calmness to play and be more comfortable at the start of the game.”

Ronald Koeman, under pressure to keep his job, hailed his veteran striker (
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REX/Shutterstock)

Brighton were just seven minutes away from a memorable victory after Anthony Knockaert put them ahead and turned up the heat on Koeman.

Koeman insisted that Everton deserved at least a point even though it came after Brighton skipper inexplicably conceded a penalty for an elbow on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

But Koeman dug out Calvert-Lewin and Morgan Schneiderlin for mistakes in the build-up to Brighton’s opener.

Rooney stepped up and showed his experience to put away the leveler (
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REX/Shutterstock)

Koeman said: “I take several good positives out of today. First of all the aggression, the commitment of the players. That is always what you need to show from the beginning. We know we can play a little bit better.

“They [the players] showed commitment. If there is no commitment by one player it is my job to bring in other players, but they work so hard every day to get it right and it’s difficult, it’s not easy the Premier League; you don’t go to Brighton and get an easy win.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin lies injured as the referee Michael Oliver awards a penalty (
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Getty Images Europe)

“We controlled the game, we defended well the direct play of Brighton. After half time, we again start well, we lost a little bit of domination in several situations, Brighton was dangerous.

“One poor defensive moment, how we tried to block and not block the ball in two situations, first by Dominic - stay on your feet don’t go down, and the same for for Morgan in the second situation.

"After that lucky they didn’t score the second - it was a game that both teams fight for the win.”