Mark Hughes urges England international to remain at Stoke

Mark Hughes has urged goalkeeper Jack Butland to reject any possible chances to leave Stoke and instead remain at the Bet365 Stadium. 

The England international recently made his long-awaited return from a long-term ankle injury in the 2-0 defeat at Swansea, yet is being linked with a move away from the Potters. 

Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton are all in the market for a new goalkeeper in the summer, while Manchester United could potentially be on the lookout for a replacement for David de Gea, who is being linked with a return to Spain. 

Hughes, though, has pleaded with Butland to sub any possible big-money moves away from the club and instead focus on getting back to his best with the Potters. 

“Jack knows what he’s got here. He’s an established keeper at a good Premier League club and has featured for England,” Hughes is quoted as saying of the 24-year-old shotstopper in the Daily Star. 

“It’s sometimes said that at Stoke you can’t get international recognition, but that’s not the case with Jack. 

“He’s made the full England squad and is well thought of within that group, so it shows what you can attain here.” 

Hughes is aware of a potential goalkeeping merry-go-round this summer and believes that Butland will be courted by some of the biggest teams in England, adding: “There might be a little bit of a churn in terms of goalkeepers at the top end of good European leagues, the Premier League included in that, so there could be a changing of the guard in some respects. 

“But from our point of view we are more concerned in making sure Jack is fit and well for next year and I know that is solely the focus for Jack as well. 

“The speculation was there before the injury and now it’s just re-surfaced and people are just possibly jumping the gun thinking that he’s back to the level he was. 

“It’s still going to take a little bit more time. Knowing Jack he will look to the England games and hope he gets a look in there. That would be a bonus and we wouldn’t be averse to that because it would give him more game time. 

“First and foremost he needs to get back and be comfortable playing week in and week out, playing, recovering, playing and that’s the rhythm we are trying to get him into now.”

For more stats on Jack Butland, click here to view his WhoScored player page