Butt's blooming stems from spell in England limelight

Midfielder prepares for task of quelling Brazilian flair after run in starting XI boosts confidence following stop-start international career

Although Nicky Butt made his international debut more than five years ago, only once prior to this World Cup had he been selected for a competitive international. Moreover, not until April did he start consecutive England matches. Unsurprisingly he did not feel, when he walked out in an England shirt, like Clark Kent marching from a telephone box in Superman garb.

In Japan, however, Butt has been a revelation. Despite not having played for more than a month he was parachuted into the Argentina match to reinforce a midfield that had been overrun by Sweden. Butt emerged from this daunting assignment with rave notices following a fantastic display of midfield play. He has continued to attract praise as his partnership with Paul Scholes has anchored the England midfield. It is not just his tackling and positional play which has been acclaimed. His passing, too, has been admired and he even had the audacity to nutmeg Thomas Gravesen for Michael Owen's goal against Denmark.

"I've never played as well for England as I am now – but I've never had a run in the team before," Butt said after training here yesterday. "I've played some good games for [his club side Manchester] United but even there it's difficult when I'm not playing all the time.

"Confidence is a big part of it. When you are confident you try things which you probably wouldn't try if you were down and feeling like you are on trial. Confidence is a big part of anyone's job. It is a factor in my passing, that and keeping it simple. I'm not someone who can hit 60-yard passes like Becks [David Beckham] can."

After years in the relative wilderness of the Old Trafford bench the compliments Butt has received might turn some heads but, as that last sentence suggests, Butt is unaffected by his arrival in the headlines.

"We all played well against Argentina but you have to take it on from there. One game is not going to make anybody. Anyone can play well in one game and never play that well again. Keano [Roy Keane] has been playing well at the top level for years. That why he is a dominant force. I can't say after one game I am going to be the best player in England, that would be daft.

"It is unusual to have people raving about me at home but we are a bit detached from it here. You ring home but my parents and friends are not ones to say 'you are doing really well', they just say 'you are doing OK'."

It falls to a team-mate with club and country, Scholes, to say it for them. Which he willingly did. "Nicky's been brilliant but it's no surprise to me," Scholes said. "I've been playing with him for a few years now and I know how good he is. He has always been a great player. People are just taking more notice now."

Butt, now 27, is a Manchester boy who has now played in more than 300 games for United. More, surprisingly, than Scholes. Although his appearances include the European Cup final (after which he gave his medal to his father and has never again looked at it) for years many observers have suggested he needs to leave to fulfil his potential and escape the shadow of Keane, this correspondent among them. But, at the end of a season, he adds up his appearances and it is usually around the 30-mark.

During last season his November return to the starting XI was one of the factors that steadied United after a poor start. "I never feel I'm under-appreciated," he said. "The gaffer's [Alex Ferguson] always told me how much I'm worth and the other boys seem to like it when I'm in the team."

Butt will have a key role in Friday's quarter-final against Brazil, stemming the runs of Juninho, picking up Rivaldo when he drops deep, or one of the centre-backs when they stroll forward. "They have a slower build-up than Argentina," Butt said. "They pass the ball slowly and are then explosive up front. Argentina pass the ball forward a lot more.

"We need to defend as a team and keep our shape. The back four, four in midfield and one of the forwards sitting in. It's worked for us so far. We've only conceded one goal all tournament. Our team is not a flair team like the South Americans. We build on a work ethic. We have some world-class players but first you have to keep your shape and work hard and go on from there.

"Sometimes we underestimate ourselves. We have this mentality that all these countries are better than us. That is changing but we have to prove it, not just say it. After the break against Argentina we knew we could go on and beat them. Brazil are a very good team but we can compete with them. Belgium showed you can get at them. They could have scored four."

Several players, English, American, Turkish, have spoken of winning the tournament but not Butt. "That's a bit far-fetched," he said "We have another massive game to get through first."

Two months ago, in an interview which noted his inability to nail down a permanent place in the midfield for United or England, Butt said: "If I keep going I'll get there in the end." It looks as if Butt, who was one of the victims when Glenn Hoddle trimmed his squad prior to the last World Cup, may finally have arrived. Not that you will ever hear him admit it. Which may be the very reason he has.