Peter Grant urges Gareth Southgate to call up Rangers star Jack Butland for England
Peter Grant has urged Gareth Southgate and England to pick Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland for Euro 2024 after his recent impressive performances at Ibrox.
Butland has been in inspired form throughout the opening months of the campaign and put in another exceptional display as the Light Blues’ booked their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League with a win over Real Betis.
While the 30-year-old has earned plenty of plaudits for his performances at club level, Grant believes that the Rangers stopper’s form deserves to be recognised on the international stage, suggesting he would be a better option than Jordan Pickford.
Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show (15 December, 13:00) he said: “He brings a calmness which I like in a goalkeeper. It’s so important because when you’re flustered, I’ve talked about Pickford before, he’s not my cup of tea as a goalkeeper because if I was playing in that back four, I’d almost be nervous with him.
“These two boys, Hart and Butland have big performances in them. As I said to you, for me if I’m looking for an English goalkeeper for the Euros or whatever. If he keeps performing the way he is, it would probably be doing him a disservice to not get selected because his performances deserve it.”
Some keeper
It speaks volumes of the level of performance that Butland has produced since arriving at Ibrox that pundits like Grant are now suggesting that he deserves a place back in the England national side for this summer’s Euros.
Butland’s last England cap came all the way back in 2019 and while he has played very little first-team football since then, his performances for Rangers particularly in the Europa League this season have thrust him straight back into the public eye.
While so many of Michael Beale’s summer signings at Ibrox have flattered to deceive and are still yet to reach their potential, Butland has gone from strength to strength between the posts and has been one of Rangers’ best signings in years.
Hopefully, the Light Blues will be able to tie him down to a much longer-term deal to extend his stay at Ibrox, but a place on the plane to Germany next summer may be a step too far. Southgate hasn’t typically picked players from north of the border and it seems unlikely that will change now.
In other Rangers news, Kris Boyd has slammed Ben Davies for his poor performance against Betis in the Europa League