Former Manchester United shot-stopper Jack Butland is in the mix for a surprise England call-up.
According to The Times, England manager Gareth Southgate could opt for Rangers’ keeper Jack Butland due to a selection headache between the sticks.
Everton’s Jordan Pickford is currently the Three Lions’ first-choice keeper, but Southgate faces a dilemma in selecting his deputy.
Aaron Ramsdale’s backup role is now up in the air after losing his starting spot to David Raya at Arsenal, limiting his game time.
The other obvious option would have been Newcastle’s Nick Pope but he is out for the rest of the season after dislocating his shoulder earlier in the season.
Southgate confirmed that Butland is in contention, claiming (via The Times):
“It is an issue for us and the situation is up in the air.”
We have to make sure we’re watching everybody. Jack is included in that because he’s playing at a big club and is an experienced goalkeeper.
“It’s not an ideal situation with Aaron not playing, Sam at the moment not playing and Nick injured. We’ll have to see how that plays out.”
Jack Butland currently plays for Rangers where he has kept 19 clean sheets in 38 games across all competitions. In the league alone, he boasts 15 clean sheets from 24 outings.
Before moving to the Scottish League, he spent three years at Palace and 6 months at Manchester United on loan from The Eagles.