The name Jack Butland, a lad born on the 10th of March 1993 somewhere in England, likely rings a bell. Living his best life on the cusp of his thirties as a goalkeeper for the Rangers, Butland stands at an intimidating 6ft 5in (1.96m) and weighs approximately 14st 11lb (94kg). Now, don’t be mistaken, this is not a rugby player we’re talking about, alas it’s football. From what I understand, he's also dared to represent the Great Britain national team, in case you were wondering.
Butland's current market value, according to the wonderful folks at Transfermarkt, is around the paltry sum of £1.5m. Chump change, really.
Now, July of 2010 it was when our dear Jack joined Birmingham City in the Championship, a decision we likely will never fully understand. However, perhaps knowing that he made 46 whole appearances in league matches during the 2012-2013 season might shed some light on the matter. And let us not forget that fateful day in September 2011 when Butland, for reasons still unclear, transferred from Birmingham City to Cheltenham Town in League Two on loan, just to return back to his original club within less than a year.
A testament to his commitment, you might argue. In any case, come July 2013, Butland had had it with Birmingham City, it seems. He monkey-hopped over to Stoke City, where he stayed for a solid seven long seasons, barely clawing his way over a handful of appearances each year. All that effort for a measly transfer fee of £3.5m.
In between he was loaned out to Barnsley, Leeds United, and Derby County, with varying degrees of success, or lack thereof. His return to Stoke City must have felt like a sick, recurring nightmare each time.
On an adventurous whim, Butland accepted a transfer to the illustrious Crystal Palace in October 2020 for about £1m, before finding his feet at Manchester United for a thrilling six months on loan. As fate would have it, his odyssey eventually led him northward, to the Rangers in Scotland.
Since 2023, Butland's played over 80 matches for the Rangers, keeping the net more or less secure while making occasional appearances in the League Cup and the Europa League, and even took a stab at the Champions League Qualifiers, probably just for a lark.
Such is the illustrious story of Jack Butland, proud custodian of the number one jersey, living his days knee-deep in the World of football, always keen for another plunge into unforeseen adventures.
