Butland admits shock Rangers exit was ‘bittersweet’ after £3m Hull move

Jack Butland has admitted his sudden departure from Rangers left him “devastated”, describing the move to Hull City as “bittersweet” after a £3million deal that saw Croatian goalkeeper Ivor Pandur arrive at Ibrox in a separate £6million transfer.

The switch stunned many observers given that, less than a fortnight earlier, Butland had spoken glowingly about his future at the club under incoming boss Derek McInnes. Speaking to talkSPORT in his first interview since leaving Ibrox, the 33-year-old conceded he “had no idea” his Rangers career was about to end.

“It’s football, you should know. It’s incredible. I had no idea at that point (that I was going to leave). No truer words were said last time so it’s a bittersweet one,” Butland said.

Emotional farewell to Ibrox

Butland made clear how difficult he found the exit after three years at the Scottish giants, insisting the club would always remain close to his heart despite the abrupt nature of his departure.

“Letting go, I don’t think you can when you’ve been at a club like Rangers. You don’t really let go. It’s been really tough. I’ll never be far from it, I fully enjoyed the last three years, it’s been a huge part of my career and one that I’m very grateful about having the opportunity to be a part of,” he said.

“It’s bittersweet, sad to leave, but really excited about the opportunity.”

Backing McInnes just weeks before exit

The comments stand in stark contrast to what Butland told the same station less than two weeks prior, when he spoke confidently about his future under McInnes and appeared to expect he would be the new manager’s first-choice goalkeeper.

“I have bumped into him a few times over the years. He’s an ex-Rangers player, we’ve had the odd chat here and there, we’ve always had a bit of back and forth about the club,” Butland said at the time.

“I know how much he cares about it, I know how much it means to him. For the club, it’s a really solid appointment, someone that we can hopefully build around for a number of years – gain some stability with someone that knows what it means, knows the culture. It’s a really good appointment, I’m looking forward to it.”

Battle for the gloves at Hull

Butland now turns his attention to establishing himself at Hull City, though he faces stiff competition for the No.1 jersey. According to the Daily Record, the Tigers have also been tracking Napoli goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, meaning the shot-stopping spot at the MKM Stadium is far from settled.

Rangers, meanwhile, have moved swiftly to fill the gap left by Butland’s exit, bringing in Pandur in a £6million deal as they reshape their goalkeeping options ahead of the new campaign under McInnes.