England key to Jack’s plan

PAUL LAMBERT admits Jack Butland may quit Stoke if he feels his England place is under threat.

The 25-year-old keeper (above) was in tears on the pitch last week after the Potters’ relegation was confirmed by defeat to Crystal Palace.

Butland is vying for the Three Lions No.1 spot with Everton’s Jordan Pickford this summer – and his place within Gareth Southgate’s squad is high on his list of priorities.

Boss Lambert said: “Jack’s a really top bloke and a top pro. He’ll say he’s made mistakes but he’s made some great saves too. “But I don’t know how he is thinking, I really don’t. “England’s a big thing for him – he’ll go to Russia and compete with the other guys in the squad. “Whether he sees dropping down a division as a hindrance, that will be a question for after the final game. “It’s the case for any national team player. “But if you look at Wales, they went to the semi-finals of the Euros and some of their players were in the Championship, so it doesn’t need to be like that.”