Josef Bursik ready to step out from Jack Butland's shadow as Hibs prepare for Rangers battle
Josef Bursik admits he’s ready to prove he’s moved on from being the warm-up act for his idol Jack Butland when Hibs arrive at Ibrox.
The Easter Road keeper shared a dressing-room with his Light Blues counterpart during a spell at Stoke City as a starstruck understudy. But as David Gray’s side attempt to build on last week’s win over St Johnstone, Bursik paid a warm tribute to the Rangers No.1. He recalled being given a grand tour of English football’s most iconic stadiums. He said: “I spoke to Jack before I came to Hibs then a couple of times since then.
“We had a good relationship at Stoke. I learnt a lot from him and it will be good to see him again.Jack was a bit of an idol for me growing up so it was cool to train with him every day. I was travelling to all those games and stuff, warming up at all the big stadiums when I was 16 and 17-years-old. That’s invaluable, isn’t it?
“I was flirting on the edge of going on my first loan when I first joined Stoke. My best experience was going to Stamford Bridge because I’m a Chelsea fan –that was big.
“I’d gone from League Two at AFC Wimbledon straight to a pre-season tour with the first team to Switzerland. It felt like a different life. You find yourself six or seven years down the line playing in stadiums that big. It’s a nice reward for the hard work.”
The 24-year-old former England Under-21 keeper has arrived in Leith on loan from Club Brugge for the season. He’s adamant that first league win over Saints must be a starting point for Hibs as they prepare for game that could provide a statement for how they intend to push on after a slow start.
He said: “As a team you’ve got to try your best not to look at the opposition’s stature. You’ve got to look at them as a team,