Fact File: Jacob Butterfield

After becoming Derby County's eighth summer signing today, dcfc.co.uk look back on the career that has taken Jacob Butterfield from Manchester United to the iPro Stadium...

After becoming Derby County's eighth summer signing today, dcfc.co.uk look back on the career that has taken Jacob Butterfield from Manchester United to the iPro Stadium...

FACT FILE:

Although he has only gone on to play the majority of his football career in the Championship to date, Jacob Butterfield’s career started as an aspiring youngster at Manchester United.With opportunities limited, the Bradford-born midfielder was released by the Red Devils at the age of 15 and quickly secured a move to Barnsley in 2005.Simon Davey, who first worked with the up and coming midfielder in Barnsley’s academy, described Butterfield as a ‘star of the future’ and that proved to be the case as he quickly worked his way up to make his senior debut.As a 17-year-old, Butterfield made his first appearance under Davey in a League Cup encounter with Newcastle United in 2007, coming on as a substitute for Martin Devaney, whilst later that season he also featured for the Tykes in their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Cardiff City in 2008.The following season, Butterfield scored his first senior goal in August 2009, helping Barnsley fight back to claim a 2-2 draw from a meeting with local rivals Sheffield Wednesday.Now an established first team player, the midfielder, at the age of 21, captained Barnsley for the first time in a 1-1 draw against Watford in September 2011.The 2011/12 season was proving to be a fruitful one for the midfielder with his performances earning him rave reviews from the top flight, being labelled as the ‘best midfielder in the league’ by Keith Hill, the then Barnsley boss and saw him called up to the England Under 21 squad, although he was an unused substitute in their games with Iceland and Belgium.Butterfield, though, had his season ended prematurely after sustaining an ACL injury in a New Year’s Eve clash with Leeds United.In total, the midfield maestro made a total of 100 appearances for the Tykes, in which he scored eight goals.His performances at Oakwell earned him a move to Barclays Premier League side Norwich City in the summer of 2012 where he put pen to paper on a four-year deal.Butterfield saw his playing time limited at Carrow Road and was left restricted to just three League Cup outings for the Canaries before he ventured out on two separate loan spells.The first of those was with Bolton Wanderers, becoming Dougie Freedman’s first signing since becoming the new manager, and made his debut against his former club Barnsley.After making eight appearances in total, Butterfield returned to Norwich, but was again on the move as he completed a loan switch to promotion-chasing Crystal Palace.The midfielder made nine appearances between January and March as the Eagles secured their return to the Premier League – but his performances was enough to earn him his second permanent move of his career, this time to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2013.A regular for Boro, Butterfield clocked up 32 appearances for the Teesside club, scoring two goals, and his form towards the end of the 2013/14 campaign earned him another move the following summer.Included as part of the deal to take Adam Clayton to Boro, Butterfield signed a four-year deal to complete a switch to Huddersfield Town, a move that served to reignite his career.Capable with both feet – the 25-year-old made a total of 45 appearances for the Terriers last season, scoring six goals in the process, with his performances on the pitch earning him the club’s Player of the Year at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.Butterfield has also featured in all of Huddersfield’s fixtures so far in the 2015/16 season, scoring one goal – a superb effort in the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

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