Jack reveals the insecurities of being the man..with the fate of Stoke and England in his hands IFS AND BUTS
JACK BUTLAND can’t resist a mischievous grin as he relays a story which offers some brutally revealing insight.
“I won’t mention who, but there’s an ex-professional who said I should be England No.1 before the game last week but then afterwards decided I wasn’t worthy!”
Welcome to the world of a top-class goalkeeper.
Against Leicester last weekend Butland made the sort of error (above) all keepers do at some time or other to cost his side a lead. But later in the game he made two fine saves to earn his relegation-haunted Stoke team a point. It is tough at the top, especially when there is an England place at stake. And that is both the prize and the burden for Butland.
With Joe Hart (below, with Butland and Harry Kane on England duty) out of favour at West Ham and extremely unlikely to be first choice at the World Cup, Butland is probably the man next in line.
But a series of injuries haven’t helped his claim, nor has playing for a team facing the drop into the Championship wilderness. Could England manager Gareth Southgate pick as his No.1 a keeper who has just been relegated?
“Ultimately it comes down to performances,” said Butland.
“If we go down I need to be able to hold my head high and say I’ve done everything I can. I think that’s the main question.
“I can only do my bit. I can’t score goals. I can only do what I can and be as big a part of the team as I possibly can. If I can do that I believe the England thing will be alright.”
There is intense competition, though, from Everton’s Jordan Pickford and the Burnley pair Nick Pope and Tom Heaton.
“It’s a difficult subject to speak about because there are so many horses in the race,” Butland (right) said. “It’s extremely unfortunate for Joe that he’s not playing, which obviously puts the question out there as to who is going to get it. I believe if I do my bit and play to the standards I can play at I will at least get a chance.”
He also believes Southgate can do every keeper a favour by deciding early who his No.1 should be.
“I think it would give some kind of clarity,” he said. “But that is down to the manager.”
Butland was speaking at Newcastle-Under-Lyme College, where he supported a literacy day. He also unveiled the Gordon Banks Sports Centre at the college a couple of years ago with his friend, the most famous of all England goalkeepers. The two speak regularly “though Gordon rarely lets me get a word in!” – but Butland has a confession.
He’s never seen Banks’s World Cup winner’s medal.
“I’ll have to get myself one and we can show each other!” he said with another huge grin.