ROWETT’S BUTLAND PLEA
STOKE boss Gary Rowett will call Jack Butland this weekend to say he wants him to stay and help City’s bid for an immediate return to the Premier League.
Rowett is under no financial pressure to sell his England World Cup goalkeeper and will appeal to him to follow Joe Allen’s lead by committing his future to the Potters.
“I said I’d leave him alone for now as he’s concentrating on a massive tournament,” said Rowett.
“But I think I’ll give him a call over the weekend now the group stage is out of the way.
“You want to spend five or 10 minutes trying to gauge the situation of all the players and where you see them.
“Because Jack is a terrific goalkeeper and obviously with England at the moment everyone will speculate that because you’ve been relegated, of course he’s going to have to go, he’s going to want to go.
“But the reality is – you’ve seen it with Joe Allen and others – people want to be at this club.”