Jack Butland is urged by Stoke boss Mark Hughes not to fall into the same trap as ex-Potters keeper Asmir Begovic
Fit-again No1 is alerting top clubs but is told to look at how his predecessor is now stuck as Chelsea's second-choice stopper
STOKE City boss Mark Hughes has urged Jack Butland not to fall into the same trap as ex-Potters keeper Asmir Begovic.
Fit-again Butland is alerting a string of top clubs with a goalkeeper merry-go-round set to begin.
Manchester City. Liverpool and Manchester United could all be in the market for a new No1 over the next few months.
But Hughes warned him that Asmir Begovic’s move to Chelsea did not work out as planned - he has played just one league game this season.
The Stoke boss says Butland needs at least another year at the club to regain his fitness after a year out with a broken ankle.
And Hughes also feels staying at Stoke will not harm England ambitions ahead of the World Cup.
But Hughes admits Begovic will have been ‘frustrated’ by his Stamford Bridge move after failing to dislodge Thibaut Courtois - and does not want the same to happen to Butland.
Hughes added: “Asmir got a great move to Chelsea, and one he wanted - to top six club.
“Knowing Asmir, he’d back his ability against anybody to be No1 there and I think that was the motivation to go.
“As it is, he hasn’t been able to get that and that’ll frustrate him, he’s an outstanding keeper and it just hasn’t worked out.
“Asmir’s a No1 keeper and No1 keepers want to play week-in, week-out.
“Jack knows what he’s got here. He’s an established keeper at a good Premier League club.
“It’s sometimes said that at Stoke you can’t get international recognition, that’s not the case with Jack.
“He’s made the full England squad and is well thought of, so it shows what you can achieve here.”
Hughes told Butland to think twice about making a big money move away.
He accepts he faces a battle to hold on to Butland in the future - but says he is going nowhere this summer.
But Sparky added: “There might be a bit of a churn in terms of goalkeepers at the top end of the Premier League.
“So there could be a changing of the guard in some respects.
“But from our point of view we’re more concerned in making sure Jack is fit and well for next year.
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“And I know that’s solely the focus for Jack as well.
“The speculation was there before Jack’s injury, now it’s just re-surfaced and people are just possibly jumping the gun thinking that he’s back to the level he was.
“But it’s still going to take a little bit more time.
“Against West Ham he made a couple of outstanding saves which reassured everybody.
“But he needs to be comfortable playing every week.”