Jack Butland ‘may be mentally finished’ after Rangers developments
Barry Ferguson made the bravest decision of his tenure as interim boss at Ibrox so far when he dropped Jack Butland.
Liam Kelly replaced the England international and made himself a hero when he saved a penalty as Rangers held Athletic Bilbao to a 0-0 draw in their Europa League quarter-final first leg on 10 April.
The Gers did remarkably well to maintain a clean sheet against Bilbao after Robin Propper was sent off early, ahead of the second leg in Spain on Thursday.
Kelly started between the sticks once more when the Bears fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Aberdeen on Sunday.
Ally McCoist stunned by Butland developments
Ally McCoist was very outspoken about the decision, telling Ferguson himself that it was a huge call.
The Ibrox legend did, however, warn that it could have telling implications for Butland.
Speaking live on talkSPORT [09:25 am, 14 April], he said: “I’m looking at Barry Ferguson leaving the goalkeeper out the other night there, Jack Butland.
“I don’t think it’s just as straightforward as a lot of people or supporters would think. Because you can mentally finish them actually at the club, I think, in many, many ways. It’s that big a decision. Barry made it on Thursday, and it turned into a great decision.”
Butland could look to leave Rangers if Ferguson stays at Ibrox
Butland is still under contract with the Ibrox giants until the summer of 2027 and has made 100 appearances for the Bears since joining back in 2023.
| Opponent | Result |
| Dundee (A) | 3-4 W |
| Hibernian (H) | 0-2 L |
| Athletic Bilbao (H) | 0-0 D |
| Aberdeen (A) | 2-2 D |
The ex-Premier League player has enjoyed his time as the number one at Rangers, but has now slipped behind Kelly in the pecking order after his poor performances.
Kelly appears set to remain between the sticks for the rest of the season after his impressive exploits against Bilbao in the Europa League on 10 April.
If Ferguson becomes the Gers’ next permanent boss, he will likely continue to favour Kelly over Butland, which could be enough to convince the Englishman to leave Glasgow in the summer.
Meanwhile, Ferguson will bolster his chances of having a long-term future at Ibrox if he can steer Rangers to the Europa League semi-finals by beating Bilbao in Spain on Thursday.