But the Rangers goalkeeper is none the wiser about his status in the England reckoning with the Three Lions manager yet to say a word.
Jack Butland is in the midst of resurrecting his career following a move to Ibrox Stadium with the presence of Gareth Southgate at the very least an indicator of the goalie’s progress.
But as Jack Butland vies for an England recall ahead of Euro 2024 – with injuries in the goalkeeping department boosting his chances – the Rangers star is fully focused on the task at hand at Ibrox.
Jack Butland claims no Gareth Southgate contact
In an impressive pre-match press conference, Jack Butland cooly and authoritatively shot down the suggestion that Rangers’ title tilt is over.
The Ibrox side have won only one game in four in the Scottish Premiership, with the historic 3-2 defeat to Ross County still fresh in the memory.
With Dundee on the horizon, Jack Butland has been rallying the troops, but the Rangers goalkeeper still had enough time to field questions on Gareth Southgate.
Explaining that he would be “delighted” to make the England squad for Euro 2024 in Germany, the 31-year-old is clear that will depend on how the next few weeks go with Rangers.
“No I haven’t spoken to him, no,” said Jack Butland. “Of course (I am still holding out hope of a Euro 2024 call-up).
“But as I’ve said all along, that comes with performances for Rangers. The fact that he came up to watch is fantastic.
“It’s important for me and any other English player that it’s a window, there’s an opening, that there’s that potential there.
“So all I can do from here on out is focus on my performances which is all that matters to me at the minute is what we do here and what we do with this club.
“If (an England call comes) then I’ll be delighted.”
Rangers goalkeeper urges team to get basics right
Whilst the conversation around Jack Butland, Gareth Southgate, and the England squad rages on, you’ll be forgiven for thinking the recent situation at Rangers isn’t helping the goalkeeper’s cause.
Rangers have regressed from the competitive side who hauled themselves back into Scottish Premiership contention and the club’s title tilt hangs by a thread.
Conceding three goals in front of Mr Southgate at Ibrox, Butland was helpless as another three found the back of the net in Dingwall.
Asked about the defence’s recent downturn, the Rangers goalkeeper believes it’s a failure at the basic level through the team.
“I think the Old Firm game last weekend you see the freak goals that sort of happened,” said Butland.
“Things like that happen when you get the business end of the season at times. It would be easy to think things have changed.
“Ultimately you’re playing against the other top side in the league last weekend, the performance we’ve spoke about wasn’t acceptable on the weekend.
“It was basics really that have cost us those moment and things like that. It’s not again something that we’re concerned about.
“It’s something that we’ve looked at, we’ve gone over, reminded ourselves of waht we’ve prided ourselves on and what has got us into this position that we are now.
“And that’s been hard work on and off the ball, it’s been pressing, it’s been working together as a unit which has got us to where we are.
“So there’s no sort of doubt that we can recreate that and it’s important that we do that tomorrow.”
Jack Butland is one of the frontrunners for Rangers’ Player of the Year, making 50 appearances for the club, conceding 43 goals and keeping 23 clean sheets.
James Tavernier has had his fair share of critics in his time at Rangers but his effort. attitude and determination to succeed can never be faulted.
The Light Blues captain has been targeted this season for some high-profile mistakes at Ibrox and beyond but the 24 goals and 10 assists more than make up for them.
Speaking after being nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award, James Tavernier has not only defended himself but another under fire Rangers star.
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James Tavernier backs Rangers legacy of Connor Goldson
The accusations that Tavernier can’t defend are lazy.
Rangers don’t get to the Europa League final or consistently reach the latter stages of tournaments in Europe if their right-back can’t defend.
For all that he is prone to odd lapses like the one at Ibrox against Celtic, most of the issues down his flank come from how high up he plays positionally, that’s a tactical decision, not a personal one.
It’s a similar issue that has beset Connor Goldson this season, who has recently been dropped.
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Rangers will never have a centre-half that is perfect.
Lorenzo Amoruso had long spells of poor form, Craig Moore was also capable of a mistake or two.
Richard Gough and Terry Butcher were, arguably, two of the finest defenders to play for the club, legends, and they too cost Rangers a few goals.
Speaking up for his vice-captain, Tavernier was quick to remind the critics of what makes Connor Goldson so valuable to Rangers:
“When you look at Connor, he’s been so consistent for us.
“He’s been robust, he’s always been fit for the team. He’s one of the hardest trainers.
“You’re always going to get the harshest criticism when you’ve been at Rangers for so long, but he’s been an absolutely great servant and a great teammate.
“We’ve had such a great defensive record this season and that can’t be overshadowed.
“Yeah, some results might go against you, but for the whole package of what Connor’s done for the team, he’s been outstanding for us and I couldn’t ask for a better centre-back to play beside.”
Connor Goldson still has big part to play for Rangers
There’s a case of ‘better the devil you know’ about Connor Goldson and the prospect of moving the 31-year old on.
Other than the comment about how long Goldson has been at the club, Tavernier is right.
If a player is at a club long enough to play over 300 games, they will make mistakes and, as a centre-half, they will cost their team goals – it’s the nature of the job.
Despite the mistakes, Rangers defence has consistently been one of the strongest areas of the team, it’s usually at the other end of the park where most of the frustration originates.
Reports that both of them could depart Rangers for Saudi Arabia have been put to bed and Philippe Clement has also said that he has no plans to lose key members of his squad.
Like it or not, it looks like Tavernier and Goldson will both be at Ibrox for some time yet.
Speculation surrounding a pair of long-serving Rangers players has hogged many a column inch in recent months.
But amid plenty of questions, some answers could finally be on their way.
When asked about the prospect of snapping up the Rangers duo – both of whom are out of contract in July and likely to depart after nearly 400 combined appearances for the Scottish Premiership giants – Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan was reluctant to confirm or deny whether there is any truth to the rumours hounding Borna Barisic and John Lundstram.
But with Trabzonspor looking to step up their plans for next season ‘in the coming days’, we may be only 24, 48 or 72 hours away from finding out what the immediate future holds for two of Philippe Clement’s most experienced campaigners.
Will Barisic and Lundstram both leave Rangers?
“It would not be right for me to confirm names here. Some (of the rumours) are right, some names are wrong,” says Dogan.
“But with regard to the names mentioned, I can only say we are working in coordination with the manager, Abdullah Avci. We plan to complete most of the transfers for the new season in the coming days.
“The aim is to start the season with a ready-made squad that the entire technical team has approved for the pre-season camp.
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“Therefore, we are progressing that aspect of the work quickly with our manager and his team. We’ve done the hard part. Our aim is to give good news to the community of Trabzonspor supporters very soon.”
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A busy summer ahead for Philippe Clement
While their destinations is yet to be confirmed, Barisic and Lundstram will depart with the respect of most Rangers supporters. The former’s contributions over the last six years – a major part of that title-winning season under Steven Gerrard and a constant source of creativity from the left-back spot – will not be forgotten in a hurry, even if his powers have been on the wane for a while now.
Lundstram, meanwhile, was a driving force behind that run to the final of the Europa League in 2022, a midfield colossus in those famous wins over Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
Rangers, then, will be in the market for reinforcements at both left-back and in midfield. Ben Johnson, the West Ham contract rebel, held talks but looks destined to join Crystal Palace instead.
One player who has been recommended to Clement is Owen Dodgson, the Burnley-owned full-back who has impressed on loan at Dundee.
“I like the left-back, Dodgson,” former Dens Park forward Tam McManus tells PLZ Soccer. “He’s been excellent. I think Celtic and Rangers should be looking at him.
“The two games I’ve seen him, against both Celtic and Rangers, I thought he was really really good.”
One of the highlights of Rangers season has been the emergence of Ross McCausland into the first-team.
At the start of the season, academy players like Zak Lovelace and Bailey Rice would probably have been the favourites to cross dressing rooms in Auchenhowie.
Instead, Rangers have added another international footballer to their ranks after Ross McCausland added recognition with Northern Ireland to his Viaplay cup winner’s medal – the Light Blues winger now knows that the bar has been raised.
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Rangers future is bright if Ross McCausland takes next step
McCausland started the season on fire for the B team, scoring goals and impressing with more direct and aggressive performances.
How he got his chance was down to Rangers bad luck with injuries but good luck for the 20-year old winger.
McCausland had made his debut under Giovanni van Bronkhorst coming off the bench against Hearts at Tynecastle and chipping in with an assist.
The early signs were promising.
It was compatriot Steven Davis who gave him his chance this season against St Mirren, coming off the bench to replace fellow academy hopeful Lovelace.
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Philippe Clement was obviously impressed with what he saw and McCausland has kept his place, leaping to his defence when asked about criticism of the youngsters lack of numbers:
“I see a player who was, four months ago, playing in the second team and who has been important in several games already this season.
“It is a big step up from playing for the second team to playing with Rangers.
“It is not only about goals and statistics. It is about all the other things you do.
“How he presses, how he wins balls, how he keeps possession for the team, how he works, how he is in the building.
“Four months ago, he was a player playing in the second team who nobody knew.
“Now, he has already played a lot of games for Rangers, been decisive in games and played for his national team.”
McCausland is also aware that he will no longer be allowed to make excuses for his relative inexperience speaking after being revealed on the shortlist for PFA Young Player of the Year:
“When you are young, you go through a stage in the game where it is all upwards. Then you get to a point where you are not judged as a young player anymore.
“When you are a young player and you are playing, all you can be is fearless and bring loads of energy to the game.”
McCausland has to target an improved end product
McCausland now has to kick on to the next level.
Working hard, pressing and being a good team player are all important traits to have, but a Rangers winger needs to be a matchwinner.
They are the players trusted to do most of the creativity and to chip in with goals and assists.
With three goals and four assists in 36 appearances, he has a long way to go yet before his place in the first-team can be taken for granted.
What he has shown, is that he can be trusted which in itself should serve as a lesson for Philippe Clement.
Realistically, would Cole McKinnon have struggled to offer what players like Jose Cifuentes, Nicolas Raskin and Kieran Dowell have this season?
We’ll never know unless they are trusted, a trust that Ross McCausland has been lucky to receive.
Rangers found out the hard way – during the first transfer window of the Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen era – that identifying full-back signings was a lot easier than getting them over the line.
The Glasgow giants had their approach for Liverpool youngster – and Dundee loan star – Owen Beck blocked.
They missed out on former Hibernian starlet Josh Doig too. Anass Salah-Eddine and Fredrik Oppegard opted to stay in the Eredivisie, while Jefte Vital, despite seeing Rangers agree terms with Fluminense, missed out on a move of his own with his loan deal at APOEL Nicosia running until the summer.
Rangers’ pursuit of Ben Johnson, it seems, is destined to end in similar disappointment.
Rangers held talks with West Ham’s Ben Johnson
The Daily Record reports that the West Ham United academy graduate, who HITC understands has turned down a number of attempts to extend a contract which expires in July, will instead join Crystal Palace on a free transfer.
Oliver Glasner, the man who broke Rangers hearts in the 2022 Europa League final while in control of Eintracht Frankfurt, appears destined to get one over on the Scottish Premiership challengers again with his move to Selhurst Park seen as ‘almost certain’ at this stage.
Two-footed and versatile, Johnson could have been one of those ‘two birds with one stones’ sort of signings at Rangers. A right-back by trade but one who is also comfortable filling in on the left, in a manner similar to that of Dujon Sterling, one of the few unquestioned successes of the Mick Beale-led recruitment drive.
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“I’m happy to play wherever the manager wants to put me,” h
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