Jack Butland admits it was going to take something special to entice him away from Rangers, and a chance to play for Hull City in the Premier League was exactly that.
Butland has become City‘s first signing since winning promotion to the Premier League, signing an initial two-year contract with the option of a third, after the Tigers agreed a deal with the Ibrox club.
The 33-year-old stopper, capped by England and Team GB’s Olympic team in 2012, spent the last three years in Scotland, but says the chance to come back to the Premier League was an opportunity he could not afford to pass up, especially given the excitement surrounding the Tigers’ return to the top-flight, a league he knows well.
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“I’m delighted it’s all sorted now, and I’m really excited to be here. It’s a great challenge and a fantastic season to look forward to. The challenge is obvious but an exciting one,” Butland said after sealing his move back to England.
“The Premier League is the best league in the world and, personally, it’s a great opportunity to be on the biggest stage again. I believe it’s the level I’m capable of playing at, and I’ve done it before.
“As a club, we’ve got a great challenge back in the Premier League, not just to stay in the league but to really enjoy it and do as well as we can.
“The last few years playing at an incredible club like Rangers, somewhere I hold close to my heart, meant it had to be something really enticing to change that.
“The European nights and all the experience I gained up in Scotland, and my experience prior to that, are going to set me up perfectly for the challenge ahead this year.
“I’ve already had some chats with the goalie coach (Erbil Bozkurt); he seems like a great guy, and I’ve heard great things about him, which is really important to my time here. It can’t come quickly enough. I’m really looking forward to seeing the fans in a really exciting season for us as a club.”
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