Ryan Jack was one of the few to survive the early days of the Steven Gerrard revolution.
Now the Rangers ace is looking to thrive after signing up for Michael Beale’s Ibrox refurbishment project. There’s major changes afoot this summer but it’s nothing the Scotland midfielder hasn’t seen before. Back in 2018, Gerrard swept down Edmiston Drive promising a dramatic overhaul as he set about lifting a broken club off its knees.
The ex-Liverpool skipper wasted no time clearing away the deadwood, with 20 former first-teams stars moved on either permanently or on loan during a ruthless purge that spanned his first two windows in charge. It was a sledgehammer approach from a new boss who realised standards had to be raised and quick. Jack was among the small group who had served during the flop tenures of Pedro Caixinha and Graeme Murty the year before who dodged the axe as the demolition work began, justifying his reprieve by helping Gerrard’s squad to Premiership glory three years later.
Now he’s been spared again as Beale prepares to pick apart a squad that failed on all four fronts last year. Five members of that title-winning gang - Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield and Filip Helander - have already gone and the likelihood is more will follow if offers come in.
But Jack doesn’t see the coming weeks as a repeat of the summer of the long knives the club went through during the early day’s of Gerrard’s reign. There may be need for a chisel and scalpel as Beale looks to tidy up some rough edges and add a flourish of his own.
But Jack is adamant it’s a long-way from the wrecking ball requirements of 2018. He said: “I wouldn’t say it’s the same. There was a lot more uncertainty at the time when Gerrard first came in.
“A lot of players, when a new manager arrives at the start of a season, are not sure if they’re going to be a part of it. Pre-season is coming and you could be sold or moving on.
“It’s different now. The gaffer has worked with us since he came in, over a number of months and a good amount of games.
“While it’s different, all the same principles are there for us as a squad. When new players come in, we have to gel well and hit the ground running. You need to win games straight away. Champions League qualifiers and big league games will be coming thick and fast and we have to be ready.”
And Jack insists he’s ready to meet the challenge of new recruits coming in to take his place. The former Aberdeen ace has been handed a new one-year deal but his longer-term future will depend on how he handles the arrival of new midfield rivals like of Kieran Dowell.
He said: "For all of us, I think that’s what we want. If we’re going to hit our aims and goals next season we’re going to need a strong squad. We’re going to need two players, three players pushing each other every day in training for the same position to get the best out of each other. I’m sure if we start doing that, we’ll see the best Rangers on the park.”
The Ibrox faithful will be grateful for the chance to switch off from club concerns for a few weeks after a season that promised so much yet delivered the square root of hee-haw. But there won’t be much time off factored into Jack’s plans for the next month as he prepares to join up with Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the Euro qualifying double dunter with Norway and Georgia.
“I think time off will be limited,” he said. “This week, I’ve continued training at the training centre.
“Then I’ve got the Scotland camp from June 4 to June 9. Then I’ve got a weekend off and we meet up again, from the 12th to the 20th . Rangers are back on June 30 so it’s not going to be a big break for myself. But I want to be involved in big games for Rangers and big games for Scotland, so it’s a sacrifice you have to make.”
There’s a growing element of the Ibrox faithful who would prefer their midfield lynchpin would sacrifice national team duties for the sake of his club career. A serious calf issue meant he was forced to miss Scotland’s Euros appearance and the run in to Gers’ Premiership triumph in 2021.
He returned to play a major role in the run to Seville but repeated lay-offs continue to frustrate a Rangers fanbase who have watched injuries across the squad wreck their trophy hopes this season. Record Sport columnist Barry Ferguson suggested earlier this season it was time for Jack to give serious thought to just how long he can continue serving two masters in Beale and Steve Clarke.
Beale, however, seems happy enough with the midfielder’s contribution, highlighting the fact Jack “has been available for 80 to 85 per cent of games this season” while dishing out his new deal.
Accusations that he is injury prone will no doubt surface again the next time a bump or bruise means he has to take a week or two off but it’s not going to cause Jack sleepless nights.
“Look, it doesn’t bother me,” he declared. “It doesn’t bother me one bit. I know what I can give every day to the club, to my team-mates and to the manager. I know what I can bring to the team on a match day and I back myself with that. The manager backs me on it, too.
“That’s the most important thing. Whatever anyone else says on the outside, I can’t influence it. So I just focus on what matters to me.”
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