Rangers: Jack Butland, James Tavernier tipped for top award vs Celtic, Hearts, Aberdeen stars
Jack Butland is the best piece of Rangers transfer business this season and should be in the running for Player of the Year in the SPFL, says Kris Boyd.
The Sky Sports pundit is delighted by the English keeper’s impact at Ibrox, particularly after another strong showing in the Europa League draw at Benfica, and put him on a five-man shortlist for the top award along with Gers skipper James Tavernier in his Scottish Sun column (8 March).
Boyd also named Hearts star Lawrence Shankland and Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski, both of whom he has previously tipped as targets for the Light Blues, as well as Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley as the stand-outs this term.
Boyd wrote: “The best, though? Well, Jack Butland must be in the Player of the Year argument with Matt O’Riley, Lawrence Shankland, Bojan Miovski and James Tavernier.
“He again showed his class with some fine saves in Lisbon. And he’ll need to be on his toes again at Easter Road.
“The way Butland dealt with those incredible corners from Angel Di Maria was impressive. The goalie was the pick of Gers’ summer transfer business.”
Kris Boyd raves about Jack Butland impact Ibrox
Fans of rival sides would no-doubt beg to differ but with Rangers having turned around the title race to lead Celtic at this stage their key men are bound to get consideration.
Butland’s arrival at Ibrox comprehensively addressed the gap left by Allan McGregor’s retirement in a way that only Abdallah Sima’s loan signing comes close to from the summer transfer business.
The former Crystal Palace man has played his way back into England contention and saw a big-money bid from Nottingham Forest rejected out of hand midseason [Scottish Sun, 13 January] to illustrate how important he has been this season, with 22 clean sheets in all competitions so far and easily the best defensive record in the Scottish Premiership with 16 conceded.
Tavernier’s ability to deliver crucial contributions when it counts has once again been a key feature of a campaign that at one point looked dead and buried but has been resurrected under Philippe Clement to capture one trophy and have Rangers in the hunt for more.
The captain gets a lot of criticism when things aren’t going well at Ibrox, often unjustly, so he deserves the praise when it is, and with another stunning return of 21 goals and 10 assists from full-back already he has contributed more than most.
The other three names would likely be the pick of many and Shankland especially will take some beating given his incredible scoring form, with both the Scot and his Dons counterpart tipped as possible Ibrox signings in the summer.
But if a Gers player were to get it few would argue with either Butland or Tavernier being the recipient.
In other Rangers news, the club have been tipped to land a £5million summer windfall with a starter’s replacement already lined up.
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