BREAKING NEWS: Philippe Clement supports Jack Butland, the Rangers goalkeeper, for an England return.
Although Philippe Clement believes Gareth Southgate must make the final selection, he would welcome Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland to be called back to England.
According to a Sky Sports source, the 30-year-old, who earned his final nine caps in September 2018, is a candidate for the March Wembley friendly against Belgium and Brazil before the 2024 European Championships this summer.
The Belgian stated of the Butland report ahead of Wednesday night’s crucial Premiership trip to Kilmarnock, where Gers boss Clement disclosed that striker Kemar Roofe will not be considered due to the artificial surface: “I would love that he would be there because he deserves, he is ready in that way.”
“Of course, Southgate will decide if he earns it sufficiently.
Despite having less work to accomplish the past few weeks, Butland has been a huge asset to the team.
“However, he maintains the same level of focus and seriousness. He is valuable in the locker room and during training, and he will continue to be so in the coming weeks and months as there are many crucial games left that call for players with personality.”
After losing 3-1 at Ibrox on January 2, Derek McInnes’ team has won seven straight games across all competitions, and they are currently in fourth place.
Although Clement’s squad leads Celtic by two points at the top of the standings, he is concerned that the Ayrshire team’s performance and artificial field could hurt their chances of winning the championship.
“We will approach the game with respect for the opponent but also respect for ourselves, to play our own game,” he added. “It’s a difficult challenge, but you need to adapt to a completely different kind of football because of the pitch.”
“I used tennis as an example. playing on a clay court or at Wimbledon.
“It is somewhat similar; obviously it is a different sport, but on artificial grass, the ball moves more quickly, so you have to be a little bit more accurate.
“Passing becomes slower after a while on a grass field. It maintains its speed or accelerates more on artificial.
“A lot of things are different, but it is what it is. The ball bounces in a completely different way, and it moves differently when turning, running, and stopping.
Although it is difficult, we must repeat what we did at Livingston.
“Although it will be an entirely different game, scoring three points is the most important thing.”
“We know it is one of those dangerous moments, it can be a bump on the road, but we are going there with all of our focus.”
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