It remains to be seen how much of a role Ryan Jack will play under Michael Beale at Rangers this season, but the Scotland international’s experience could well play a key role as the Ibrox club looks to wrestle its way back into a challenge for the Scottish Premiership title.
Jack penned a one-year deal this summer, but his future at Ibrox was not always a foregone conclusion, with contract talks extending over several weeks and months into the close season.
The new deal will take the 31-year-old into a seventh season in Govan and after making over 180 appearances in blue, Jack is determined to play his part in Beale’s first full season in charge.
He explained: “Look, I think first and foremost, I just need to work hard, get my head down, be fit, be available, and whenever you get your opportunity, you've got to try and take it. That's the competition that we're going to have in each position going forward.
“I think even in training we can see the levels went up and the standards improved. So not just for myself or for midfielders, I think all over the pitch there's competition. There's two or three each position. So, I think if the team’s going to be successful. then everyone's going to have to play a part.
“I don't think it's just about me and me responding positively. I think it's the whole group. I think that's why the manager strengthened the squad because last year wasn't good enough.
“We want to improve the squad, we'll have more quality, more options and I think we've done that so far. And as you say, there might be a few more coming in so. it's all going to help us to obviously try and go and be successful and try to win trophies.”
Jack has won both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup during his time at the club, but he hopes to add to that trophy haul this term after Celtic won the treble last term under Ange Postecoglou.
As a senior member of the Rangers squad, the midfielder also feels he has extra responsibility to help the youth and new arrivals settle into life in Glasgow.
He continued: “I think the additions look really good. They are all going to help us in different ways, Sam got his goal against Newcastle and works his socks off for the team. He’s an honest player.
“I think you'll see that throughout preseason that all the new guys will come in, they'll integrate and they'll all bring different things to the team. So, as I say, hopefully next couple of weeks, we'll see more of that and we'll see the rewards of preseason.
“I have extra responsibility helping the new guys. As soon as you walk in, it doesn't matter where you've come from or who you've played for - I think you feel how special the club is and you feel that demand straight away.
“So, I don't think anyone's going to need us to tell them, but I think at the right times, we can always help and guide and because we've been here, had experience here, been through different experiences.
“So I think that will definitely help as preseason goes on and as the season unfolds, but everyone's doing really well so far and preseason has been good so I can't complain.”
Rangers are currently preparing for Champions League qualifiers with matches to come next month and Jack feels the squad is in a good place after a week of work in Germany.
Speaking after Allan McGregor’s testimonial against Newcastle at Ibrox, he said: “I think so far we're in a good place. We just recently got back from my preseason camp in Germany and it was eight days and it was tough work with a game at the end of that. It's been enjoyable, but it's been tough, so it's been a good balance and hopefully in the next couple of weeks leading into the competitive games, we'll get the rewards of that.
“I think we're going to have a couple of weeks until we have the Champions League games. It was a good test for us because Newcastle are going to be a Champions League side and that's obviously the quality and the fitness we want to try and get to. I'm sure we will over the next couple of weeks. We have time to work and keep progressing and moving forward. So no, I'm confident going into the games - and we'll wait see what happens.
“I think we're going to need to be adaptable and know different roles and different formations. And I think that's what preseason for it. It gives us a chance to test out different roles within the team and different formations at different times of the game.
“I think going forward that might be something that we need to look at. But as I say, I think the shape and how we've been playing - it's not really changed too much from since the managers came in and we'll just keep working on that.”
On his former teammate McGregor, who left the club at the end of the season, Jack added: “As a person, he's a top notch fellow – a top notch guy. He’s done a lot for me.
“Obviously, my time at Rangers was when he came back and and straight away you could see what the club meant to him and how much it meant for him to wear that jersey.
“Obviously putting up with him in the change room for a few years has been tough! It's a great send off. The fans showed up in numbers for him, and it was fully deserved.”
