Kenny Miller makes huge Jack Butland Euros claim & predicts Celtic return for Arsenal outcast

Kenny Miller makes huge Jack Butland Euros claim & predicts Celtic return for Arsenal outcast, Kieran Tierney

• “Listen, he’s as good as Jordan Pickford; I wouldn’t take Jordan Pickford over Jack Butland, but Pickford’s got the shirt at this moment in time.”
• [On Jack Butland] “The way he speaks, the way he carries himself and the influence he’s had on the people around him… that’s what a top player does. So I am concerned about what his future looks like after this summer.”
• “Listen, he’s as good as Jordan Pickford; I wouldn’t take Jordan Pickford over Jack Butland, but Pickford’s got the shirt at this moment in time.”
• “You’re talking about someone who is playing at a big club, going for a league title, so he definitely displays the right characteristics on that front. He’s nearing the end of a season where he could end up winning multiple trophies and he’s had a big, big say in that.”
• “I’m sure Gareth Southgate will have looked at it and will have thought about it. Maybe all eyes will be on the Old Firm game this weekend, too. Jack’s barely put a foot wrong, and you can’t really say that about many goalkeepers at this stage of the season.”
• “He’s a wonderful player who has been really unlucky with injuries throughout his career. Injuries have probably stopped him kicking on to an even higher level at Arsenal, but Kieran Tierney is a top, top, top player.”
• “As an outsider looking in, I think he would love a return to Celtic. It’s just a case of how does that happen? The transfer fee is the issue there. I genuinely don’t think the wages would stop it, because I think Kieran would understand the situation, and would accept that he’d have to drop his wages, probably considerably, to get that move.”
• “Listen, anything is possible, but I really do think he’s that good a player, that his next move is up to him. If he wants to be a Premier League player next year, away from Arsenal, someone will pay the money to get him because he’s a top left-back.”

Jack Butland for Euro 2024 is a no-brainer for me… I wouldn’t have Pickford over Butland

There’s been a lot of talk about Jack Butland, and I know there was apparently interest from Nottingham Forest in January, and maybe one or two other clubs asking the questions. I don’t think that will go away in the summer, so I would be concerned about losing Jack, because he’s been such a great influence on this team, not just in terms of performances, but as a character in the dressing room too, I think he’s been a real positive.

The way he speaks, the way he carries himself and the influence he’s had on the people around him… that’s what a top player does. So I am concerned about what his future looks like after this summer.

It’s pretty straightforward for me; you’re looking at the goalkeepers who Gareth Southgate now has available to choose from; who is playing well, what type of situation they’re in and what type of character they are… well Jack Butland is a known quantity to anyone who has shared a dressing room with him.

There was a lot of chat around him being involved in this most recent international squad, and to be honest I’m disappointed for Jack that he didn’t get that opportunity to get back into the England set-up. It was almost nailed on that he was going to be a part of things.

He’s come up to Rangers to try and rebuild his career and maybe put himself back into these type of conversations, and that’s exactly what he’s done. For me, he just looks like a top, top lad; the way he speaks and the way he carries himself, he’s a class act. You can’t have too many of those guys about a squad… especially when you’re going into an international tournament.

Listen, he’s as good as Jordan Pickford; I wouldn’t take Jordan Pickford over Jack Butland, but Pickford’s got the shirt at this moment in time. I’m not suggesting Butland comes in and takes that number one shirt… but when you’re looking at guys who can come in and complement that, and help drive their teammates to be better, for me Jack Butland is right up there.

You’re talking about someone who is playing at a big club, going for a league title, so he definitely displays the right characteristics on that front. He’s nearing the end of a season where he could end up winning multiple trophies and he’s had a big, big say in that. And you only have to watch his post-match interviews to see he’s a real class act. So for me, if you want somebody – maybe not to come in and be the number one – to come and be a really positive influence on a group of players, England could do a lot worse than having Jack Butland as one of their three goalkeepers out in Germany this summer.

I’m sure Gareth Southgate will have looked at it and will have thought about it. Maybe all eyes will be on the Old Firm game this weekend, too. Jack’s barely put a foot wrong, and you can’t really say that about many goalkeepers at this stage of the season.

I think Kieran Tierney would love a return to Celtic

I don’t know Kieran [Tierney] particularly well; I’ve watched him from afar since he broke through at Celtic at 16. He’s a wonderful player who has been really unlucky with injuries throughout his career. Injuries have probably stopped him kicking on to an even higher level at Arsenal, but Kieran Tierney is a top, top, top player.

If he doesn’t quite fit in Mikel Arteta’s plans, that’s OK. There’s not a lot you can do about that. As for his future, if it’s away from Arsenal and if he wanted to, he’d still be playing in the Premier League… I’m sure of that. That will be up to him, and whether teams will be able to get him out of his current contract.

But as an outsider looking in, I think he would love a return to Celtic. It’s just a case of how does that happen? The transfer fee is the issue there. I genuinely don’t think the wages would stop it, because I think Kieran would understand the situation, and would accept that he’d have to drop his wages, probably considerably, to get that move.

Arsenal paid £25 million for him and I believe he’s still got a couple of years left on his contract, so that’s where the problem would come. Would there be a potential for a loan deal for a year or two? Maybe. Listen, anything is possible, but I really do think he’s that good a player, that his next move is up to him. If he wants to be a Premier League player next year, away from Arsenal, someone will pay the money to get him because he’s a top left-back.

I’m not going to pretend I’ve watched him playing game after game for Real Sociedad, but if he’s gone to Spain and been the player that I know he is, then I’d be surprised if he wasn’t on everyone’s radar in the summer. I’m interested to see what the next step of his career looks like because he’s a wonderful player who is still at a great age.

When he turns up for Scotland, he’ll do a job anywhere; left centre-back, left-back, left win-back, he just gets on with it. He’s just a top player; it’s really unfortunate things haven’t quite worked out for him in England for one reason or another, but he’s young enough that I’m confident his career will still go from strength to strength.