Ferguson shares ‘immense’ Jack Butland admission at Rangers
Jack Butland’s place as the Rangers number one goalkeeper has been called into question over the last year.
Butland’s performance levels dropped with some high-profile errors last season, and he even lost his starting place towards the end of the campaign.
Barry Ferguson was in charge when he removed Butland from his starting spot, but he now appears to have a new lease of life under Russell Martin.
The Rangers legend, who has since left his role as interim manager, has now opened up on the decision to drop Butland, and has backed him to find his best form.
Ferguson gives Butland Rangers verdict
Ferguson dropped Butland for Liam Kelly towards the end of last season, and Rangers have since been linked with new goalkeepers.
However, speaking to the Daily Record (29 July), Ferguson claimed that Butland is capable of continuing as Rangers’ number one, and admitted that it was a difficult decision to drop him.
“I was at the game last Tuesday and I thought Jack was immense with some of the saves he pulled off,” Ferguson stated of Butland’s performance against Panathinaikos.
“It was probably one of the hardest decisions I had to make,” Ferguson added.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Clean Sheets | Goals Conceded |
| 38 | 3,450 | 12 | 44 |
“And it wasn’t knee-jerk. I took a couple of days, I sat on it, and I just felt I had to make the change because Jack was going through a difficult time, as every professional footballer does – you go through tough times in your career.
“I just thought it was the right time to take him out of the firing line for a number of weeks.”
Ferguson then claimed that Butland is a top goalkeeper and backed him to find his best form.
“He went away and worked hard over the summer, and it looks to me that Butland’s come back and is prepared to show everyone what he is, which is a top goalkeeper,” he added.
Butland may be given Rangers chance
Butland impressed against Panathinaikos, and it may have sent a message to Martin that he is still capable of continuing in goal.
Rangers were linked with Aaron Ramsdale among other goalkeepers, but as it stands, they are no closer to recruiting a new number one option.
This could mean that Butland is trusted to find his best form before the end of August, and so far, he has impressed under Martin, who also requires his goalkeepers to be strong with their feet.
If Butland can help guide Rangers through the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, he can make himself a popular figure at Ibrox, and this would be the best way for him to reclaim his number one spot.
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