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Jack Butland has revealed how his move to Rangers came about in 2023 — admitting it didn’t take much convincing once former Ibrox boss Michael Beale came calling. It’s been a rocky journey for Butland at Rangers. The Englishman was a pivotal figure during his debut season, quickly earning recognition as one of the league's most reliable and influential goalkeepers.
However, this campaign has proven more challenging, with his performances coming under scrutiny and his starting spot placed in jeopardy — especially since Barry Ferguson 's arrival as interim manager. In recent weeks, Butland has even found himself dropped from the starting XI, with deputy Liam Kelly stepping in. Speaking on the Fozcast podcast , Butland opened up on the conversations that paved the way for his Ibrox switch — and how a personal meeting with Beale sealed the deal.
“It started at the back end of that season,” Butland recalled, as he reflected on the final months of his loan spell at Manchester United . “I was on loan at Man United from [Crystal] Palace. It was a great experience.
I loved it. I wanted to go and test myself. Read more: 'It controls your life' — The unrelenting expectations of being Rangers No.
1 ‘Another one to add to the long list’ — Barry Ferguson on Rangers injury blow “I wasn't playing at Palace. I had the opportunity to go [to United] in the summer but I broke my hand, so that washed that, but I went in the January. It was intense, the standard was incredible, and it was brilliant to train and just feel like I could hold my own again with top players.
I felt like I needed that.” Despite enjoying his spell at Old Trafford , Butland admitted his desire to return to regular first-team football ultimately shaped his next move — and when Rangers’ interest surfaced in early 2023, the decision quickly became clear. “Then sort of March time, it started off with a few rumours.
I knew I was coming to the end of my contract at Palace, I knew the club was moving on, and that was fine. But I felt full of energy, so enthused, and wanted to see what’s next," he continued. “Then I had a few meetings with Michael Beale, the Rangers manager at the time.
He came down, we spoke about it. He showed me a video of a tour of Ibrox with the fans, the noise, everything. “And it didn’t really take a lot.
I knew this was a real opportunity to go and play somewhere incredible, somewhere with an incredible history of goalkeepers. You also know there’s an opportunity of winning lots, keeping clean sheets, and winning trophies. That was inevitable — and it’s always going to get you interested.
” For Butland, the prospect of playing under pressure, in front of passionate supporters, and fighting for silverware made the call an easy one. “I pretty much said yes to my agent immediately and they went off and did their bit. We met one more time and that was that.
I just knew I wanted to go and test myself. It was an easy one," he stated. (Image: Alan Harvey - SNS Group) Read more: Ally McCoist provides honest assessment on Barry Ferguson’s Rangers future The 32-year-old England cap also reflected on the timing of the move, suggesting the situation felt naturally aligned compared to other transfers in his career.
“There’s times where you’re at a club and things are maybe not going the right way, maybe they are and you’re playing well and flying — and things unfold on their own. Sometimes you need an agent to force something through for you," he noted. “But this was quite normal.
I was coming to the end of my contract, Rangers were really interested and wanted to do it, I heard that, I saw what it was all about, and I wanted to do it. That’s where things are done pretty easy. “When it came to all the contracts and stuff like that, I wasn’t really too bothered.
I just wanted to play football. I'd gone a few years where I had to be patient, kept working, felt like I deserved opportunities but they didn’t come, and that’s fine. But I felt like I just had to take control — and it was a great opportunity.
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