It’s no secret that the goalkeeper position is one of Rangers main priorities this summer and reports are suggesting the club are close to securing a pre-contract for former England international Jack Butland. So, who is he?
Name – Jack Butland
Age – 30
Nationality – English
Position – GK
Club – Manchester United (on loan from Crystal Palace)
In recent seasons he has been playing second fiddle at Palace and has only made ten EPL appearances in the last two seasons, keeping one clean sheet. The lack of playing time is never as much of a concern for goalkeepers compared to outfield players, as much as it isn’t ideal it’s a much quicker process getting a goalkeeper fully match fit.
Listed at 6’4 he’ll be the tallest ‘keeper Rangers have had in years and he isn’t afraid to come off his line which has always been McGregor’s biggest weakness. In his nine EPL appearances last season his numbers looked like this;
- One Clean Sheet
- 1/1 Penalties Saved
- 1.9 Saves Per Game (57%)
- 17 Saves Made (10 Inside, 7 Outside The Box)
In total in his career he has played 87 EPL games and managed to keep 21 clean sheets in that time, which is impressive considering the clubs he’s been at in the league. That’s a 24% clean sheet rate in one of the toughest leagues in the world, numbers a lot of other ‘keepers would be jealous of.
He’s also had nine international caps, keeping five clean sheets and only conceding four goals in those games. His last international appearance was in 2018 against Switzerland and as he’s fell out of favour at club level, the same has happened internationally.
He’s a good shot stopper who’s commanding in the air and he’s still only thirty, the age a lot of goalkeepers start to hit their prime. A player with EPL and international experience this could be an absolute bargain buy for Rangers on a free.
What do you think of Jack Butland? Does he have the credentials to be Rangers new number one?