Jack Butland has questioned the notion of a major gap between Celtic and Rangers, despite clear evidence to the contrary both on the park and in the standings.
The Ibrox keeper’s comments come in the aftermath of Rangers’ recent win at Celtic Park, a result which has led to an inflated sense of parity in some quarters.
Speaking ahead of the final stretch of the season, Butland told MailSport: “But we don’t believe that there is a big gap. As the league sits, there’s a gap that we need to close and we need to try to do it. So the last part of this season is very much about winning as many games as we can. The target is obviously to win all of them, including beating Celtic at home.”
Butland’s words may raise eyebrows among those who have been watching the SPFL unfold. Celtic currently sit top of the table with a 13-point lead, underlining their season-long consistency and dominance.
Brendan Rodgers’ side have also put silverware in the cabinet already, lifting the League Cup thanks to Daizen Maeda’s penalty kick winner — which just so happened to beat Butland in the final.
Maeda’s early double and Nicolas Kuhn’s second-half strike secured the 3-1 cup final win over Hibs back in August. That day, Butland could do little as Celtic steamrolled to victory in front of a packed Parkhead.
Celtic’s campaign has been built on strong squad depth and the ability to rise to the occasion game after game. When they’re expected to win, they don’t buckle under the pressure, they get the job done more often than now.
The fascination with debating “the gap” is not new in Glasgow football circles. But while Rangers fans might cling to the most recent derby as evidence, the full season paints a clearer picture — and Butland has been in the thick of it, watching Celtic win week after week.
When the dust settles in May, Butland might have to reconcile not just with a league deficit, but potentially watching Celtic complete a domestic treble. That would mark yet another season where the green half of Glasgow asserts their supremacy — and does it with the medals to prove it.
