I joined Manchester United on loan and didn't play once - it revitalised my career

There weren't many expectations when Manchester United agreed a deal to bring Jack Butland to the club on a six-month loan deal last year.

The former Crystal Palace goalkeeper had previously been lined up to join United in the summer of 2022, but after breaking his hand against United in pre-season, they opted to sign Martin Dubravka from Newcastle instead. In the January transfer window, Newcastle triggered their option to recall the Slovakian shot-stopper following injury to Nick Pope, leaving United with a vacancy in their goalkeeping department.

It presented boyhood United fan Butland with another opportunity to move to Old Trafford, and although he didn't play a single time for the club, it proved to be a catalyst in his recent resurgence.

"I happened to break my hand against United during pre-season," Butland told FourFourTwo. "The deal was developing in the background and I wasn’t fully aware – hindsight would have made me pull out of that game, potentially."

"It happened in January and it was a no-brainer for me. It was a hell of an experience. I would love to have stepped out on the pitch for them, but I wasn’t prepared to wait for that to happen – careers are short and I had to get back playing. I needed to wrestle some control back. It was six months of my life that could prove to be one of the most significant periods I’ve ever had: it reminded me what I’m really capable of, and that’s what gave me the confidence to step away."

At the end of his short spell with United, Butland became a free agent and opted to sign for Scottish giants Rangers. It proved to be a masterstroke as the experienced goalkeeper, invigorated by his time alongside David de Gea, made 58 appearances last season and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.

He added: "The opportunity to join Manchester United came about in the summer and it seemed too big to turn down – this was the club I’d supported from a very, very young age. All it did was fuel my ambition to go and play. Near the end of 2022/23, I wanted to take control of my future; to go somewhere and achieve something. That’s where Rangers came in."