Chris Sutton lauds Jack Butland despite Rangers loss v Celtic as summer prediction made
Chris Sutton has called on Gareth Southgate to include Jack Butland in the England squad for this summer’s Euros, following the Rangers man’s terrific performances in goal this season.
Speaking on BBC 606 [11 May, 10:43:00], Sutton made the claim that Butland should be named as one of Southgate’s trio of goalkeepers, as he was crowned Rangers’ Player of the Season.
Despite the Gers conceding the Scottish league title to Celtic on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat, Butland has been a beacon of high standards for Philippe Clement’s side this season. He and skipper James Tavernier were nominees for the PFA Scotland Player of the Season award, which was won by Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland.
“Jack Butland put in a brilliant performance once again for Rangers and is their Player of the Season,” said Sutton.
“So should he go to the Euros? I think so.”
Should Jack Butland be on the England plane?
At this stage, there is absolutely a firm case for Butland to make an England return after six years away from squad involvement.
The Ibrox move has proven extremely fruitful for the former Crystal Palace and Stoke City man, who was fast gathering a reputation as a backup goalkeeper.
With Jordan Pickford a dead-cert and Aaron Ramsdale likely to be second-choice despite suffering the same fate in the pecking order at Arsenal, there is realistically one place up for grabs to go to Germany.
Typically the third-choice stopper would be Nick Pope, but he has been struck down with injury woes since the turn of the year. Sam Johnstone, Fraser Forster and James Trafford have also been mooted, but Butland’s form and previous Three Lions experience make him a standout candidate.
Forster was named in the 2014 World Cup squad by Roy Hodgson, the last Englishman in Scotland to go to a major tournament – he would join Southampton weeks later. Maybe it’s time north of the border was considered again.
In other Rangers news, Gary Keown gives his view on fan altercations at Ibrox.
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