Jack Butland reveals the Rangers sales pitch from Michael Beale that hammered Ibrox move home

Some may view spending an entire season warming the bench as a waste of a time - but not Jack Butland.

The new Rangers recruit may not have sampled the minutes he was hoping for when he signed up at Old Trafford last summer, but the 30-year-old insists his 12 months on loan at Manchester United was anything but a year misspent. The Red Devils may not be the all-conquering behemoth of Sir Alex Ferguson’s day but it remains one of the world’s few genuine super clubs, where the only thing set higher than the standards inside the club are the expectation levels from those outside peering in.

His season sitting on the sidelines acting as cover for David de Gea offered Butland an insight into what it takes to reach the top. And he says he’s now desperate to put those lessons into practice on the pitch at Ibrox after agreeing to become Michael Beale’s third summer signing.

The former England stopper - a member of Gareth Southgate’s 2018 World Cup squad - said after agreeing his long-term deal: “I’m over the moon. The club speaks for itself. No matter where you are in football, you know about Rangers Football Club. This is a huge opportunity for me, and I’m delighted to be here. I feel great and motivated at the age that I am, and I feel excited at what the future holds.

“Doing that at a club that is equally as passionate about winning and being at the top was huge for me. The manager came to see me a month or so ago and he played a presentation, with all the bells and whistles.

“Nothing will compare to Ibrox packed, it was an easy sell and it was something in a football perspective that is a no-brainer. I can’t wait to get started. I think I am a leader and I am a vocal person.

“I like to set standards and be on top of people