BUTLAND JOY AT LINKS TO CITY

JACK Butland admits is has been a ‘really positive thing’ to have been linked with a summer move to City.

Pep Guardiola has been keeping tabs on the Stoke City goalkeeper - who only returned to action last month after a lengthy lay-off with an ankle injury.

With Willy Caballero’s contract up at the end of the season, the Catalan is considering bringing in a new stopper to provide competition for Claudio Bravo.

And Butland, pictured, who has four years left on his contract at the bet365 Stadium, admits he has been flattered by the links.

“I see it as a really positive thing,” he told the Stoke Sentinel. “It is nice to be recognised, I must be doing something right. But I also have to remember I have been out for a year now and I just need to get back to doing what I love doing and the rest will take care of itself.”

Butland joined Stoke for just £3.5m in January, 2013 after impressing at Birmingham City in the Championship.

With Thomas Sorensen and Asmir Begovic ahead of him, the 24-year-old had to wait a year to make his debut before going out on loan at Leeds and Derby.

After Begovic’s departure to Chelsea, in 2015, Mark Hughes made Butland his No.1 and he immediately caught the eye with man of the match displays against Norwich and Newcastle.