Jack Butland pens Rangers love letter as beloved keeper bullish over strikers and why no one will cross Clement
Jubilant Jack Butland believes he is living out a dream starring for Rangers as he talked up Cyriel Dessers’ ability to help fire the Ibrox side to glory.
The 30-year-old has been a smash hit in Govan since joining on a free transfer from Crystal Palace last summer. The former England international – who harbours ambitions to return to the Three Lions’ set-up – believes he has found the perfect club after a stuttering period of his career which saw him on the bench at Selhurst Park and during a loan at Manchester United.
And Butland was more than happy to wax lyrical about his experiences with title-chasing Rangers and the seismic impact Philippe Clement has had during the Belgian’s transformative start. Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “It’s going to plan, you could say. It’s been a truly enjoyable start, one that has had a lot of ups and downs for us as a club but we’re certainly heading in the direction we want. For me, personally, I am loving every minute of it.
“For me, joining the club, it was extremely exciting for me. It was a huge opportunity and then the start was not something we were after. So, for the manager to come in when he did, and sort of right things and put things in a stable place. I think you can see, anyone who has been watching us can see he has set out some foundations which have proven to be really successful for us.
“He carries himself in a way, I wouldn’t say he’s that fearful, head teacher sort of way, just yet, no one has got on the wrong side of him. But I think everyone is quite wary to stay in his good books. He’s sort of set his stall out and the boys are well up for following that. Long may that continue.”
Rangers weighed up eyeing another striker before the window closed but Butland is bullish over Dessers and £35m loanee Fabio Silva‘s impact. And he is hopeful to see some added ammo return to the squad with Kemar Roofe, Danilo and Adballah Sima all nursing injuries at present.
He added: “I think good (on forwards), some people are close, some are further away. What we do have is we have got enough bodies. We have got enough cover. Cyriel has really come into his own, it has been a big month for him, a big last six weeks. He actually come up with really big goals for us throughout. He seems to be finding his own, which is really important. Fabio gets his first goal for us on the weekend.
“I think things are looking up for us in that area. We, in this building, are certainly confident with what they can produce. And then we have the bodies in the wide areas, attacking areas, in the 10. New players coming into midfield. We have pretty much 100 per cent fitness everywhere else, which is going to be important for us with how many games between now and the end of the season. We are certainly happy with where we are going and what we have got at the minute.”