My plan to break his Hart
JACK BUTLAND is on a mission to ruin the World Cup dream of England rival Joe Hart.
The West Ham keeper has retained the England
No.1 shirt despite a desperate 20-month spell.
Hart shouldered most of the blame for England’s Euro 2016 exit to Iceland.
He was average during a season on loan at Torino after falling out of favour at Manchester City.
And to make matters worse, since joining the Hammers in the summer he has conceded goals for fun as he gears himself up for a relegation scrap.
Butland appeared to be challenging Hart for his place in the Three Lions side until suffering cruel luck with injuries.
But now he is fit and fresh again and desperate to replace Hart as Gareth Southgate’s first-choice keeper ahead of Russia
2018.
He will get a chance to impress when he wins his sixth cap today against Lithuania in Vilnius as England complete their World Cup qualification programme.
The Stoke ace said: “I can only do so much at club level, so this is an opportunity to show what I can do and punch my ticket for Russia.
“Joe is our third most capped goalkeeper. He’s rightly had the No.1 spot for a long time but I’m here to challenge that.”
Butland, 24, became the youngest keeper to play for the senior team when he made his debut in 2012.
But a string of serious injuries, including a fractured ankle, have limited his chance.
He added: “What’s gone has gone.
“Now I’m looking forward to being successful for club and country.”
GARETH SOUTHGATE is heading to Russia with a flexible attitude which could see England operate with a back three at the World Cup.
The England boss gave a possible glimpse of the future in the last five minutes of Thursday’s qualification clinching win against Slovenia at Wembley.
Southgate sent on Everton central defender Michael Keane to replace Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling.
England, therefore, finished the match with a 3-4-3 formation and it was during that period that skipper Harry Kane scored an added-time winner.
And Southgate insists three at the back, rather than the traditional four with two central defenders, is not a defensive formation.
The England boss said of that system: “It’s definitely a good option for us and I think
‘What we want are people who can use the ball’
for Premier League teams at the moment too.
“You are surrounded these days by three or five at the back. It is an interesting development.
“It’s always helpful for players if there isn’t too much change from playing for their clubs to playing for England.
“But there are clubs still playing with a four – Harry Maguire is playing in a four at Leicester.
“What we want are people who can use the ball.
“We want composure at the back but we also want good defensive qualities.
“Some aggression in our defending is necessary too.
“But in international football, the ability to build from the back is important. “When it comes to tournaments we have to be open, so three at the back is something we’re looking at.
“It’s good to have the option of playing a different way.
“We changed the shape at the end of the Slovenia game.
“That gave us two full-backs