It has been ‘officially’ confirmed that Rangers’ goalkeeper Jack Butland will not be going to the Euros this summer with England and will never play for England under Gareth Southgate after deputy national goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was ruled out for the season and relegation-doomed Burnley’s James Trafford, 21, was called up to replace him.

If ever there was evidence Butland isn’t in Southgate’s eye, it’s the fact a goalie with 62 goals conceded this term in 28 matches is preferred to him.

It’s simple, Southgate isn’t interested in Butland on any level, and the stuff goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson said in favour of Butland was literally BS.

Is it cliquey? Yes. Is it Butland being in the Scottish Premiership? Yes. We do think these two have a role to play.

Is it to do with Southgate not knowing him well, as David James suggested? We think this today rules that one out – it had an air of interest about it, but we don’t think it really applies.

Southgate simply isn’t interested in Butland, be it because of the SPL or any other reason.

He is happy to continue to pick Jordan Henderson, despite ‘only’ playing in the Dutch Eredivisie, and with that side struggling these days (at one point they were near the bottom) and having to make do with the Conference League in Europe.

He stuck by the hapless Harry Maguire, who still is far from a top defender, out of pure loyalty.

So let’s not pretend it’s actually do with levels – he picks his mates every single time and Butland just isn’t in that group.

And any new call ups will definitively have been players from his youth days, players he knows.

It’s a shame – Butland’s England career is done and we highly doubt even a return to the PL will change much there.

May as well stay at Rangers eh?