England hopeful Jack Butland definitely had an exciting afternoon as Rangers faced Celtic.
The Rangers custodian didn’t expect to go down 1-0 in the opening minute, but once James Tavernier blasted the ball off Daizen Maeda, it was difficult to recover.
Add in Matt O’Riley’s dinked penalty, and it might have been a dreadful afternoon for England boss Gareth Southgate.
The captivating 3-3 draw between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox, which made headlines across the world, is more than just those highlights.
Jack Butland gives Rangers an amazing performance against Celtic?
Despite conceding three goals against Celtic, Jack Butland saved Rangers from a humiliating defeat.
The Rangers custodian saved comfortably from a weak if not goal-bound Daizen Maeda shot and also made a world-class save to deny a Matt O’Riley header.
There were a few other times that demonstrated Jack Butland’s ability to be a resolute stopper, although the custodian did not seem very well surrounding Celtic’s third goal.
While a contrite defence has to move closer to Adam Idah, the low shot may have beaten the Rangers custodian too easily.
Overall, Jack Butland’s performance was uneven, but it may have opened Gareth Southgate’s eyes to the difficulty north of the border.
Will it be enough to gain an England cap, though? An ex-Old Firm couple surely believes so.
Neil McCann and Peter Grant back the England call.
Neil McCann, former Rangers manager, reviewed the situation on Sportscene after the draw with Celtic.
McCann believes Butland made a positive impact at Ibrox and claims Celtic would have been “out of sight” without his performance in the first half.
🗣️ “Why shouldn’t Jack Butland be in the England squad?”
With England manager Gareth Southgate in attendance at Ibrox, Sportscene examines Rangers custodian Butland’s performance against Celtic in Sunday’s 3-3 draw.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/gdvZsmNu4H.
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot), April 8, 2024.
“The England manager there watching him today of course looking to see how he’s performing,” McCann added.
“I think he’s been one of the best players this season, and he’s a big reason why Rangers were still in this game at halftime, allowing Philippe Clement to come in and perform the riot act and get the Rangers moving.
“I thought he was superb in that first half.”
When asked about a possible England call, McCann stated, “I think (Gareth Southgate) can’t fail to be impressed.”
“Rangers put him under some strain; they played a lot of balls back to his feet, and the conditions were not ideal.
“I think his distribution could be look upon as not effective, but I think he’s a good kicker, he makes big stops, he got good concentration, why shouldn’t he be in the England squad?”
Former Celtic player Peter Grant went on to say, “He should be in the team anyway, Butland. Butland should be on the squad even if all of their goalkeepers are healthy, because his performances warrant it.
“I’ve seen all the other goalkeepers, if he’s not the number one he’s definitely the number two.”
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