Love-in for Stoke City old boys as pretender goes up against ‘idol’
Former Stoke City training partners Joe Bursik and Jack Butland are rivals in Scotland
The big game of the day in Scotland sees Jack Butland go up against his old training partner Joe Bursik as Rangers take on Hibs – and it is an old relationship that means a lot to Bursik.
Butland was recovered from injury and in the England squad when Bursik joined Stoke back in the summer of 2017, fresh from helping England win the under-17s World Cup in India. Butland would stay for another three years while Bursik learned the ropes, out on loan before breaking through to the first team under Michael O’Neill in 2020/21.
Both have had challenges and Butland, now aged 31, moved to Rangers to rebuild his career last year, with Bursik following him up north this summer on loan to Hibernian from Club Brugge with the intention of playing regularly. The Ibrox meeting today (12pm) is the first time they have taken each other on for opposition clubs.
Bursik, aged 24, told the Sunday Mail: “I spoke to Jack before I came to Hibs then a couple of times since then. We had a good relationship at Stoke. I learned a lot from him and it will be good to see him again.
