Former Barnsley, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday man becomes free agent as exit confirmed
Former Barnsley, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Jacob Butterfield has left Scunthorpe United.
His departure has brought an end to a two-year association with the Iron, who missed out on promotion to the fifth tier last season. The 33-year-old will now join the free agent market ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, having rejected a new contract tabled by Scunthorpe.
Butterfield is a familiar face in Yorkshire, having turned out for five of the county’s clubs over the course of his career. He cut his teeth at Barnsley, before going on to enjoy spells with Middlesbrough and Huddersfield. Later on in his career, he spent time on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City.
He featured most prominently for Barnsley, amassing 101 appearances for the Reds between 2007 and 2012 before joining Norwich City. He briefly returned to Oakwell in 2021 to train with the club’s under-23s but did not end up making a senior comeback.
In a statement, Scunthorpe said: “Veteran midfielder Butterfield joined the Iron on a free transfer following his departure from Scottish side St Johnstone in the Summer of 2022. While in claret and blue, Butterfield made 86 appearances in all competitions and scored 12 goals in that time. He fast became a fan favourite amongst Iron’s loyal supporters with his trademark long shots that always troubled the opposition.
“Some memorable moments from Butterfield’s stay included his long-ranged debut goal against Yeovil in the first match of the 2022/23 season, which helped United win the encounter 2-1.
"This will be remembered along with his sensational free-kick strike against Brackley in front a packed-out Attis Arena, as he gave Michelle Harness the perfect start to her ownership reign by scoring the only goal of the game.”