Jack Butland felt like Rangers had lost their voice when they waved goodbye to Connor Goldson. But the Ibrox No1 reckons his side are ready to roar again now that John Souttar has stepped up to have a major say for Philippe Clement’s team.
Defensive stalwart Goldson didn’t only serve as the beating heart of the Light Blues backline during his six year stint in Glasgow, but was also the booming mouthpiece bellowing out orders to those around him. It was no surprise then to see Rangers appear rudderless in the early days of the season without the vice-captain – shipped off to Aris Limassol for £1.5million – helping to steer the Ibrox vessel forward.
But Clement’s team appear to be finally back heading in the right direction with Scotland stopper John Souttar and ex-FC Twente defender Robin Propper now established as the club’s first-choice centre-back pairing.
It’s Souttar who has taken on the leadership role in Goldson’s absence and it’s paying off, with Gers having recorded four straight clean sheets since their Parkhead pasting. And Butland is glad to have someone in front of him who certainly knows what he’s talking about.
He said: “John and Robin have both been brilliant. I think for someone like Robin to come in, he’s an experienced defender. He’s played for some great clubs and at good levels as well.
“He’s stepped in and I think we’ve seen the best of him and I think there’s even more to come. Connor moving on has allowed John to play perhaps on his more favoured side, but I think he did fantastic for us on the left as well last year. He’s someone that gives everything for the club. I think he’s grown incredibly as a defender and I think he’s matured into a really top, top centre-half.
“It’s great and I love having him in front of me and I think as a partnership they’re growing. If that partnership is not quite right, clean sheets can sometimes be hard to come by. Is Soutts a leader? Yes, he is. Not many people can be as loud as Connor, but that was a huge strength of his and something that we really valued.
“John is a voice as well. Again, we have a leadership group. He’s an important part of that, not just for off-the-field matters but for off pitch stuff as well. I think he’s certainly leading with his performances at the minute and vocally as well.
“He’s a fantastic defender and we’re lucky to have him. He’s such a huge character as well. He’s extremely professional. He loves the club. He loves what he does.
“He’s been through some difficult times with injuries. For a man to come back from that takes a lot of doing. But he puts in a lot of time and effort into making sure that he’s maintaining his fitness and doing whatever he can to keep his levels.
“That’s a testament to him. He’s been a huge part of the season so far and I’m sure he’s going to be a huge part of the season to come.”
Souttar looks back to his best and so does Butland. The former England keeper was untouchable last season after his heroic string of saves helped rescue a campaign that could have spiralled completely out of control within weeks of the kick-off. But even he hasn’t been immune to the sporadic attacks the Gers squad have had to deal with this term while frustrated fans have lashed out.
Critics questioned whether he was harbouring a week spot down to his left hand side after being beaten easily in the defeats to Dynamo Kyiv and Celtic. But he’s responded with another glut of key stops – including a weekend spot-kick save against Hibs – and more importantly shut-outs.
“The clean sheets have been huge,” he said. “I think it’s six in the last seven. Hopefully we’re going to keep that going.It gives us a real platform to play. If you lose that defensive stability that we’ve got, then those games become really difficult.
“That’s something that we’ve prided ourselves on and something that we need to continue and certainly that starts again tomorrow. I feel great. The amount of games you play, there’s always things you can pick out and things you can do better.
“I feel extremely comfortable here. I love the work that I do. I love my job. I love playing for this football club. I think all of that with a bit of maturity in there as well and getting a little bit older. You learn how to be at your best perhaps more often than not.
“I’m in a really good place. I’m enjoying it. For me, it’s just one game at a time.”
Next up is Lyon in a competition Gers have come to relish. Last week’s win over Malmo in their Europa League opener was the perfect start for Clement’s side.
Now Butland hopes to peak again when his team host a team based at the base of the French Alps. Asked what it was about the competition that brought out the best in his side, Butland grinned as he said: “The challenge. The old underdog story.
“There’s always people that don’t think you can [get results]. That’s always something that keeps this club coming back. If you want to write us off, go for it. But we’ll relish the challenge. That’s something we’ve done in the European games. It’s something we need to continue throughout all the competitions we’re in.
“But they’re great opportunities for people to perform and showcase what they’re about, which we have done. I hope we do a little bit more this year.”
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