Jack Butland became England’s youngest ever goalkeeper aged 19 years and 158 days. A few months later, he was off to the Premier League in a £3.5million transfer.
His meteoric rise brought predictions of future glory. But a football career, just like life, rarely travels on the one, smooth trajectory.
Butland earned the last of his nine caps aged 25. After thriving with Stoke City, he suffered injuries, loss of form and doubt from managers as the club began to flounder following relegation to the Championship.
Moving to Crystal Palace brought only 17 first-team appearances over the course of a three-year contract. For the second half of last season, he was on loan with Manchester United but didn’t get off the bench.
Even so, Butland could have stayed at Old Trafford. The option of a new deal was there. It might have included the odd outing in a domestic cup tie.
Butland, though, wanted more. The desire to recapture the buzz of regular first-team football — to play an active part in pursuing trophies and medals — led him to Rangers as a key part of Michael Beale’s summer rebuild.
Now 30, he doesn’t want his story to be dominated by those heady early days. For all that was achieved back then, Butland is adamant his best years are still to come.
‘One hundred per cent,’ he insisted. ‘And that was another part of it.
‘All right, could you be at United? Well, yes, but what would the rest of my career look like?
‘That was important to me. I wanted 30 onwards to be something l look back on as a successful period and not one that drifted away.
‘As much as I enjoyed Palace and as good as United was, I missed playing. And that’s important to me.’
An Ibrox debut may arrive on Tuesday evening against Newcastle United in the testimonial match for predecessor Allan McGregor. A legendary figure over two spells at the club, McGregor was still playing for Rangers at 41 before finally exiting at the end of last season.
If his example is anything to go by, Butland might have another decade in him.
‘Exactly,’ he continued. ‘He (McGregor) is an exceptional example. He kept himself going and kept himself in great shape and I will try to do that.
‘But I am just looking forward to getting started (at Rangers) and being successful. I am sure at the end of my career it is something I will look back on as being an extremely great time, and that’s the plan.’
A different assessment would be made about the last few seasons. Those on the outside possibly wondered what had happened to a player once brimming with so much promise. Butland, though, never lost belief.
‘A lot happened early,’ he reflected. ‘If I went through my career without any setbacks and without any moments it would have been a miracle. These things happen.
‘One or two of them happened at a good time for me, not in my prime if you like.
‘I had tough times at Stoke when the club was transitioning and not really sure where it was at — and it was difficult.
‘But since then I feel I have been in a really good place and on a really good path, just without perhaps the games to show for that.
‘Mentality-wise, I have been extremely positive all the way through. I feel really good about myself and my game and being here so, yes, no fears on that front.
‘Things happen for a reason. This is an opportunity and I am really looking forward to it.’
Butland was at Wembley for Manchester United’s Carabao Cup win over Newcastle last season, yet felt one step removed from the celebrations. With Rangers, he hopes to be at the very heart of success and will relish the pressure of trying to end Celtic’s domestic dominance.
‘Rangers is about winning,’ he stressed. ‘Being in the squad for a Carabao Cup final last season was great, but it is not you. You are not fully part of it.
‘So being successful with this team is what I am here to do. That’s what I am about.
‘There are some big numbers we need to hit. There are things to achieve this season which are really important and, as a player, that’s what you want to do — you want to win trophies and you want to be successful.
‘You want to be part of a great team and that’s what we are trying to do.’
Europe, too, was an attraction. Beale’s squad will have to come through two rounds of qualifiers next month to make the Champions League, but Butland draws confidence from the power of the Rangers fanbase.
‘You always see the Old Firm games on TV, it is never difficult to see those,’ he added.
‘But I also remember watching the Europa League final (against Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022) and what the fans were like. I remember watching it and wanting to be a part of it. So that has always been there.
‘It ramped up in the last few months before the end of the season so I was watching Rangers games when I could.
‘I watched the Old Firm and Allan’s last game, things like that. I kept an eye out and I have heard a lot about it since.’
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