I'd love chance to win medal like my nig pal Banksy
JACK BUTLAND’S dreams of slapping his own World Cup winners’ medal down in front of his big pal Gordon Banks.
Stoke keeper Butland enjoys a close relationship with the 80-year-old legend of England’s ’66 World Cup-winning side.
Now Butland hopes to make the England No.1 spot his own for this summer’s showpiece in Russia and maybe, just maybe, bring something home for his mentor to admire.
Determined to have something more in common with Banks than keeping goal for Stoke, Butland said: “He is a brilliant person to talk to. He has my back – he’s in my corner.
“I dream and I hope that I can achieve what he achieved in ‘66. I haven’t seen his medal. I’ll have to get myself one and we can show each other.
“He is a massive inspiration and motivation. I do speak to him a couple of times a month. He rarely lets me get a word in though to be honest!
“He wants to know how I am and he offers his opinion on goalkeeping and things like that.
“Even more so when I was injured, he played a big part in helping me, always wishing me well. We have good conversations.
“I want a piece of what he’s had and the legacy that he’s lived of being a World Cup winner.
“He is a cool dude and it’s a pleasure to speak to him and for him to speak so nicely of me. It’s a real honour.”
Butland, 24, was speaking at the centre which bears Banks’ name at an event to promote literacy among young people at the Newcastleunder-Lyme College.
First up Butland has to win the fight to be undisputed No.1 for his country, with Joe Hart and Jordan Pickford breathing down his neck.
He feels that Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate’s D-Day over that choice can’t be too far away, with friendlies against Holland and Italy at the end of the month.
“The manager will be keen to make that decision,” said Butland. “I don’t think there will be changes during the World Cup unless there’s injuries and things.
Question
“But I’m sure he will nail down who the No.1 is and give that person the right amount of time to prepare for what’s ahead.
“It’s a difficult subject to speak about because there are so many horses in the race.
“It’s extremely unfortunate that Joe is not playing, which obviously puts the question out there as to who is going to get it.
“I think at some point there needs to be an idea of who is No.1, whether it’s made public or not. I think it would potentially be important for someone to know.” Butland’s first target is to try and haul Stoke to Premier League safety. He feels that if his performances do that, he can propel himself to the head of the England pecking order.
“Keeping Stoke up is my No.1 personal goal for the minute,” said Butland ahead of today’s clash at relegation rivals Southampton.
“I want to remain in the Premier League and help keep the club there.
“I don’t think it will be the be all and end all but it will massively help my case.
“I have always said the England stuff will come as a result of playing well for Stoke. If I’m not doing that, then England stuff will falter.”
Butland says he’s already blanked out his howler last Saturday when he turned the ball into his own net to gift Leicester an equaliser.
“Honestly, I’d forgotten about it 30 seconds after it happened,” he said. “Three or four years ago a mistake like that would have bothered me. Over the last couple of years, with injuries and things like that, you learn to appreciate every minute you are out there.
“I will never hide away from it. I accepted at the time it was my fault, but I felt like I had put it behind me and got on with it.
“Part and parcel of being a keeper is you can have 10 good games in a row, but when you make a mistake, it’s that one which is flagged up.”