Stoke and England goalkeeper Jack Butland has split with his long-standing agent in a move which will raise speculation over a return to the Premier League.

Butland is not renewing his contract with respected Stoke-on-Trent based agency Beswicks Sports and is expected to sign up with a rival stable before the end of the year.

The 25-year-old has been with Beswicks for eight years but is now considering other options, following Stoke's relegation to the Championship.

Gareth Southgate, the England manager, recently reassured Butland that he can still remain part of the national team despite now playing his football in the second tier.

But Southgate would ideally prefer players to be operating in the Premier League, and Butland's future is likely to come under scrutiny again when the January transfer window opens.