Jack Butland: Rangers need to start building for next season

Jack Butland insists Rangers’ preparations for next season need to get under way now.

The Light Blues return from the international break on the back of a morale-boosting 3-2 triumph at Old Firm rivals Celtic and a Europa League penalty shoot-out win over Fenerbahce, which set up a quarter-final tie against Athletic Bilbao.

However, the Ibrox side – under interim boss Barry Ferguson – are 13 points behind William Hill Premiership leaders Celtic with eight fixtures remaining.

And ahead of the trip to Dundee on Saturday, Gers goalkeeper Butland spoke about getting the mindset right for next season.

The 32-year-old said: “Every game now, regardless of where we’re at domestically or in Europe, is an opportunity to give the fans something back, to give the group something to finish the season on a high and wherever that puts us and takes us.

“The European games are vitally important but we still need to finish the season strongly, we need to go into the summer with momentum and some real positivity looking forward to next year.

“We’ve had lots of reasons and excuses and things like that, and there will be a lot of things to look back on at the end of the year as a club, as individuals and as a group to put right ahead of next year.

“But the best thing you can do with that is do it now, start now and start trying to build something, trying to start really nail down a culture and expectation.

“We’ve spoken about it and we’ve had conversations all season about this consistency and it’s not necessarily always a consistency of performance, but a consistency of what we’re about, what we need to be and how we need to approach every game.

“At times it hasn’t been good enough for some of the games and it’s cost us and other times we’ve shown we’re capable of.

“So that sort of gap between what we’ve produced and what we don’t want to produce – we need to reduce that.”

Rangers placed former captain Ferguson in charge until the end of the season in February following Philippe Clement’s sacking.

Former Gers goalkeeper Allan McGregor returned to the club as part of Ferguson’s backroom staff and Butland is enjoying working under him.

“It has been brilliant,” Butland said.

“Our relationship sort of developed over my time here, obviously with Allan retiring, and then a few rounds of golf here and there between him and myself and we’ve had a friendship outside of football.

“So for him to be in here now is really enjoyable.

“I think he’s just as nervous as anybody, he wants to come in and do a great job.

“But for me, there’s no one better to have, not just because what he achieved but also because he understands what I might be going through, or what it’s like as a Rangers player, as a Rangers goalkeeper.

“So the relationship is a really, really good one.

“I really enjoy the work together and it’s been really good so far.

“I know what is expected and having him in your presence and around the building can only help that.”