Rangers fans’ cup celebrations were SCARY and I can’t imagine what they’ll be like if we win title says Jack Butland

Jack Butland grinned as he looked back on the “scary” scale of Rangers’ Viaplay Cup celebrations.

A more frightening notion for the Ibrox support might be the thought of just what state they’d be in right now had they not had the England hopeful there to bail them out at a various points this season. From the catalogue of vital stops early on which ensured a nightmare start under Michael Beale didn’t become an outright disaster to his reflex wonder save in Paisley on Sunday, the Ibrox No1 has been key to ensuring Rangers head into the final month of the campaign with at least an outside chance of a Treble.

Even if worst comes to worst and Philippe Clement’s side fall at the final Premiership and Scottish Cup hurdles, Butland can still look back on a maiden campaign in Glasgow and cherish a special moment at Hampden.December’s League Cup win over Aberdeen was exactly the kind of occasion which convinced the the former Stoke, Crystal Palace and Man United stopper to join Gers last summer.

But for all that the club’s first triumph in that competition after 12 long years meant to him, his team-mates and their supporters, there’s no doubt the scenes of joy will be multiplied tenfold if they can someone find a way to sneak past Celtic to snatch this year’s league crown. And it’s that tantalising prospect which seems to be behind Butland’s insistence that he won’t be tempted back south this summer.

“It is sort of scary in a way,” he said as he looked back on his first trophy triumph at Ibrox. “That was some good fun that we had. It was an incredible day, an incredible few days after. We didn’t get long to enjoy it, such is the nature of this league and the demands on you. But it was an incredible day and it really was a taste of it.

“I can only imagine what it would be like if we could go another one or two steps further with what is to come. But that’s something we can dream of and work really hard to try and accomplish.”

Butland had some big gloves to fill when he arrived last summer. Ally McCoist famously joked that replacing Walter Smith in the Ibrox dugout was like taking the mic from Frank Sinatra.

Butland will now how the Gers legend feels having been handed the No1 jersey Allan McGregor previously filled when he turned up for pre-season. But the 31-year-old has hit every high note, with somer already insisting he deserves to be mentioned alongside the club’s goalkeeping greats of Chris Woods, Andy Goram, Stefan Klos and McGregor.

His performances have earned him a slot on the PFA Scotland player of the year shortlist but Butland knows if he’s to truly regarded amongst Gers shot-stopping royalty, he needs to get his hands of further silverware.

He said: “You can’t really talk about Rangers without talking about trophies and an incredible history of goalkeepers. Goalkeepers the fans have loved like family, who have their own nicknames. It’s all part of the history of this club.

“Some people might see that as pressure, I saw it as an opportunity to show people what I can do. I guess it puts you in that conversation if you do do that. What those guys have gone before have all done is won, they’ve been serial winners.

“I have one to my name, that’s not enough. You get a taste for it and you want more and that’s what this club wants, it demands more. To be mentioned is an honour, but you’ve got to back that up with trophies and hopefully we can.”

As well as cups, Butland is still dreaming of caps. England boss Gareth Southgate made a rare visit north of the border last month to check the former Three Lions back-up stopper in action during the 3-3 Old Firm thriller.

That news came as a surprise to Butland, who said: “No I didn’t speak with him. I didn’t even know he was coming. It’s a really positive thing that he did. He’s not been up here a lot but that says a lot.

“Hopefully he comes up a lot more, especially for games like that. They’re incredible to be a part of. I’m sure he’ll be back up again to have a look, we’ll see.

“But I can only focus on what I’m doing. I’m enjoying every challenge that comes and just relishing that. Anything that comes with that England wise is a bonus. It was something I’ve always loved being a part of and want to be a part of again. But that’s not a question for me, I have no idea what that holds.”

Despite Southgate’s efforts in making the trip to Ibrox, there’s still a school of thought which suggests the England gaffer has a snobbish outlook when it comes to the standard of Scottish football. Butland could have overcome those concerns and boosted his Euros chances had he taken up an offer to head back south when Nottingham Forest came calling in January.

But, according to the Ibrox ace, that was never an option “Not at all,” he insisted. “My agent notified me of what was coming in. The club immediately said, ‘No’. My agent said, ‘How do you feel about that?’ but it was a ‘no’ from me as well.

“Being honest with you, when I signed here, the Euros was not on my mind. Playing football for an incredible club like this was all I was thinking about.

“Ultimately I’d missed playing football [after a year sitting on the bench for United]. I wanted to perform again. This game it what I love doing. I guess I’m making up for lost time.

“The England thing, despite being something I’ve always wanted to do, wasn’t a target of mine. It wasn’t a case of, ’I need to go to Rangers to get back in’. I just wanted to go to Rangers to enjoy what it is and enjoy being playing football.”