SEVILLE, SPAIN - MAY 18: Rangers fans during the UEFA Europa League Final between Eintracht Frankfurt v Rangers at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, on May 18, 2022, in Sevilla, Spain. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
Andy Firth was enthralled with the exhilaration of a major European night at Rangers even before he set foot on the field.
The former Light Blues backup keeper is hoping that his fellow Englishman’s star status in Philippe Clement’s squad will guarantee his Ibrox infatuation remains just as strong as his own, as rumors of January interest in new Ibrox No. 1 Jack Butland begin to circulate. With the Gers’ support, Firth rose to cult status despite making just one appearance for Steven Gerrard’s team. The former Liverpool youngster, who is currently playing for Connah’s Quay Nomads in Wales, found himself jumping around the stands as enthusiastically as any of the Bluenoses he sat next to during the club’s thrilling Europa League trip to Seville, but the sensation worked both ways.
The conversion goalie would frequently be the first to embrace Gerrard and his team following significant victories, much to the amusement of the crowd. But because of Butland’s heroics in goal this season—as the former star player for Stoke, Birmingham, and Crystal Palace—they’ve taken to the new goalkeeper with even greater fervor. These displays, which include four clean sheets in seven games since new manager Philippe Clement took over, have raised concerns that Ibrox chiefs may have a difficult situation when the winter transfer market opens.
Clement has made every effort to downplay Birmingham manager Wayne Rooney’s alleged interest. However, Butland’s suitors might be motivated to give it a shot given that Gers have once again made clear in their recent financial results the ongoing necessity to shift talent for a profit in order to balance the books.
However, Firth is hoping that the promise of taking Rangers back to Europe in the coming year would be sufficient to convince Butland to turn down any New Year’s offers. He admitted to being glued to watching all the games to Record Sport. The bug really got to me.
“Hopefully, Jack has also been bitten by it. There are some rumors circulating on Twitter that teams might pay attention in January.
“I sincerely hope that they don’t, for apparent reasons. It seems sense that he would be enjoying himself as much as he appears to be. As soon as they step through that renowned front door, I believe that everyone becomes a fan of the Rangers.
“All I can hope for is that the club and the supporters will do enough to win him over to staying, especially considering how things have been going since the new manager took over. He has joined a team that is fiercely competitive and has a strong European following.
“Those European nights are unique, and I have no doubt that they will be a major consideration for him should the right opportunity arise. You just can’t find it elsewhere. On the journey to Seville, I had the good fortune to see a few of those memorable evenings. Even though I was merely seated in the stands, I was acting foolishly by hopping around.
“Hopefully the team can secure European football after Christmas with that result against Limassol next week, and that will be enough to convince Jack that Glasgow is still where he wants to be.”
Firth was aware of his role at Ibrox: to cover for Robby McCrorie, Jon McLaughlin, and Allan McGregor. During his three and a half year tenure, he was only used once, in a seven-minute cameo on the last day of the 2018–19 season that resulted in a loss at Rugby Park.
When he joined Connah’s Quay last year, he finally traded in his seat in the stand for a starting position, although he acknowledges that he was nervous to put the gloves back on. Butland never displayed the least trace of uncertainty, if any existed at all, when he joined Rangers after his own stretch of inactivity during a 12-month loan at Manchester United during which he failed to register a single appearance.
Firth stated, “You expect him to be good because Jack is obviously a big name—he’s an ex-England international with almost 100 Premier League appearances.” I was curious about his reaction to not playing for a long time.
“I felt a little rusty because I hadn’t actually played in around four years before joining Connah’s Quay. And since Jack hadn’t started many games in a few years, I did start to worry about him. But really, hasn’t he been good?
He needed to fill some large gloves. Although there will have been a lot of pressure to follow Greegs, Jack has so far passed the test with flying colors.Butland appears to be on board with Clement, who praises his goalie’s skills in both stopping the puck from entering the net and controlling his teammates’ attention. “Everyone has their own way of leading,” Firth continued. The group’s older statesmen at the time, Greegsy and Steven Davis, were able to discern when a rocket up backside was required or when everyone needed to take a breather.
In that regard, James Tavernier and Connor Goldson were equally outstanding. Connor is undoubtedly the most talkative of the two, but Tav’s daily expectations made the four of them a true leadership team.
“They all had different styles of leadership, but having two guys in the dressing room, Davo and Greegs, with all the games and, heavens knows, trophies, helped.”
I’ve heard that Jack has now assumed a portion of that duty. In our meeting last week, I learned that Jack arrived with the intention of setting the bar high for himself both mentally and physically, even while training.
“The season has gotten off to a rocky start, but Butland has been the one to remain composed the entire time. Ever since he put on the No. 1 shirt, he has given outstanding performances.
“He looks like he covers every area you’d want in a keeper, and he’s really impressed me.” He’s been the best thus far: left foot, right foot, shot stopping, arriving for crosses, and being a proper leader.
