Graeme Souness gushes over ‘complete’ Rangers star Jack Butland in new Manchester United verdict
Graeme Souness was full of praise for Jack Butland live on talkSPORT, as he hinted the Rangers star could play for Manchester United and England after his performances at Ibrox.
The Rangers legend questioned how the club managed to secure Butland’s signature at Ibrox with the level he is playing at, and claimed he is the complete goalkeeper.
He questioned the decision made by Manchester United to leave following his loan spell in favour of spending £70million on Andre Onana from Inter Milan.
Speaking live on talkSPORT [8 January, 12:27], Souness gushed: “How they’ve got Jack Butland, it’s a mystery to me. I’ve been up there several times and watched him this year, I watched the Old Firm game. He looks like the complete goalkeeper.
“He’s got great presence, the modern keeper has to be able to deal with the ball at his feet, he’s got that, lovely kicker of the ball. He just looks like an all-round really good goalkeeper.
“I googled him and he was at Man United. I look at him thinking at 30 years old as a goalkeeper, you’re entering your best years, and I’m thinking ‘How have Rangers got him’ because he is a really, really top goalkeeper. Butland never played for Man United, he leaves on a free and they go and spend £70million on Onana…
“What it tells me is that this is a really good goalkeeper, and I don’t think England are terribly blessed for goalkeepers right now.”
Butland catching the eye
Amid a disappointing summer transfer window under Michael Beale, one thing the former boss definitely got right was the decision to bring Butland to Ibrox on a free transfer.
He has been the standout performer for Rangers this season and has been the root of everything good the club has achieved so far, with his performances never dropping regardless of the circumstance, opponent, or level of the game.
For Souness to deliver such high praise based on what he admits is only a brief view, having seen him play live a couple of times in the stadium, shows the level Butland has been at on such a consistent basis at Ibrox.
The suggestion that he could start for Manchester United may be slightly overblown given the standards and level of expectations at that club, but the call for a return to the England setup may not be too farfetched given the level of his displays compared to that of his competitors.
In other Rangers news, Chris Jack has shared whether a new transfer deal is imminent.