Rangers ace namechecks 'brilliant' duo that he 'loves' playing with as he lifts lid on Ibrox affection

The Rangers stopper was the hero in Sunday’s 1-0 Scottish Premiership win over Hibs after saving Mykola Kukharevych’s 45th minute penalty to help Philippe Clement’s side to another vital three points, and has set his sights on another shut out against French opposition on Thursday night.

Linked with a move in the summer after an outstanding debut season in Glasgow, the 31-year-old appears to hold no desire to depart Ibrox anytime soon as he opened up on his ‘love’ for the club since joining from Crystal Palace last summer.

“The mood is good coming off a good few weeks,” said Butland. “There is confidence in the camp. We have great confidence in what we can do at home so getting off to a good start puts you in a great position. To be involved in high-profile games against good European opposition is exciting - as a player you look forward to it. We have done well in this competition in recent years and we want to keep this up.

“I feel great at the moment - I feel comfortable at this club and love being here. I think getting a bit older and gaining that experience has been great for me and I am enjoying helping the team when I can. These games are huge in Europe - it is an opportunity to test ourselves - and these nights are always exciting. To be able to perform in these games is special, and I think fans and players alike step-up for it.”

Butland reserved praise for the burgeoning defensive partnership of John Souttar and Robin Propper, saying: “They have been brilliant. They have stepped up into their positions but I still think there is more to come from them. I love having them in front of me and I think that partnership is developing well. John Souttar is an important part of the leadership group and he is leading with his performances at the minute - he is a great defender and we are lucky to have him.”