EXCLUSIVE: Jack Butland hints he could leave Stoke City to pursue Champions League dream

Jack Butland has told talkSPORT he would not leave Stoke City purely for the money, but would consider an offer from a bigger club if it meant realising his dream of Champions League football.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper is back and raring to go for the new Premier League season after recovering from a year of injury hell.

After a frustrating 12 months out with an ankle problem, Butland returned to Stoke’s starting XI for the final five games of last season, but his return to fitness has inevitably led to links with a move away from the bet365 Stadium.

Manchester United are reportedly monitoring the England international as a potential replacement for David de Gea, should the Spaniard move to Real Madrid this summer.

And while Butland admits Champions League football is one of his chief career ambitions, and that Man United are ‘the biggest club in the world’, the young goalkeeper has told talkSPORT he is solely focussed on the season ahead with Stoke.

Speaking to Jim White, Butland said: “My ambitions are to be the Stoke number one and England number one, but there are other things I want to achieve in my career as well.

“I want to play in the Champions League and I want to win trophies.

“There’s no reason why we can’t win trophies at Stoke, we’ll try and win some cups and do as well as we can, but I obviously have ambitions.

“If it’s the right move at the right time, you never know. You always have to think about these things.

“A club like Manchester United, or whoever it may be… United are, for me, the biggest club in the world and you have to take those things in consideration.

“But if it’s right, if it’s not, I’ll make those decisions at the time.

“I’m back in a Stoke kit at the minute and I’m focussed on doing as well as I can in pre-season and the season ahead, and what will be, will be.

“It’s all just speculation and rumours at the moment, and I don’t get into that too deeply.”

Butland also insisted the lure of a lucrative move overseas does not tempt him to leave his home country, and that the Premier League is the only place an England goalkeeper can realistically compete for an international spot.

Joe Hart, his direct competitor for the England No.1 shirt, moved to Torino on loan last season in search of move regular football, but when asked if he would entertain a move abroad, Butland added: “No.

“For me, the money is not an interest, it’s about playing football and the best opportunity to represent your country is in England.

“I think it’s the best league in the world and for an English goalkeeper it’s the place to be.

“For Joe, the circumstances were different. He needed to go out and play and he took a difficult decision to go to Italy. That’s credit to him because it’s a tough thing to do.

“He did what was necessary but, for me, if I can I’ll always stay in England and play in this league for as long as possible.”

Listen to talkSPORT’s interview with Jack Butland IN FULL above!