‘He just couldn’t believe’: Barry Ferguson shares what Jack Butland told him about Celtic

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Barry Ferguson says Jack Butland told him that he ‘couldn’t believe’ how big the likes of Celtic and Rangers are.

The 30-year-old joined Rangers in the summer after spending a season on loan at Manchester United, so he knows and understands what huge pressure is like after representing perhaps the biggest club in England.

But it seems Jack Butland didn’t realise the high demands of Celtic and Rangers, who don’t have the money or the limelight of the Premier League to showcase themselves to the rest of the world.

When Barry Ferguson was in conversation with the nine-cap England star, Jack Butland expressed how he only realised the ‘demands’ and ‘expectations’ of Celtic and Rangers until he moved to Glasgow, as he told Go Radio.

Winning, winning in style and winning again is only expected and demanded. If not, you are out of the door pretty quickly – Barry Ferguson expressed his ‘worry’ at the Celtic board possibly spending big in January.

Jack Butland would have seen that first-hand when, the man who brought him to Ibrox, Michael Beale, was booted out this season after being humbled by Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic.

Jack Butland on Celtic and Rangers

“Another thing he was saying, he just couldn’t believe how big both Celtic and Rangers are, until he moved up to Glasgow,” said Ferguson.

“Then he realises the demands and expectations, and he loves that. That tells me he is a right character.”

Celtic’s lead over Rangers

After the Bhoys dropped points away at Hibs over the weekend, the gap between the two is now five points, with a crucial festive period coming up – Hyeongyu Oh was hailed after the late win over St Mirren last night.

It’s all in the lead-up to the meeting at the end of December, where Butland, for the first time, will feel the heat of standing in the centre of the goal at Parkhead for a Glasgow derby. 

That is going to be another level of pressure for the former Premier League goalkeeper because Celtic should still be well in the driving seat in the title race.

If both clubs are in the same position, then Celtic winning and making it eight points heading into the break would be a brilliant return for Brendan Rodgers.