Covid has Paul Hartley’s Scottish Cup trip to Ibrox on the back burner but if and when it happens, the Cove Rangers boss could be forgiven for hoping that his former team-mate Ryan Jack is sitting in the stands.
The ex-Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs and Celtic midfielder knows his League One title chasers have a better chance of grabbing a goal if that’s the case and the stats back him up.
Jack has played 15 league games for Gers this season and they haven’t conceded a single goal when he’s been on the pitch.
The 28-year-old has become pivotal to the way in which Steven Gerrard ’s men operate both offensively, and in particular, defensively.
Jack’s positional sense and ability to cover when James Tavernier is rampaging down the right flank has plugged gaps that used to leak goals and is one of the reasons Rangers are romping to the title.
It has also led to the former Dons captain cementing his place in the Scotland team under Steve Clarke, and Hartley believes the faith placed in him by club and country is entirely justified.
He said: “He was a young player coming through when I was at Aberdeen and actually started as a full back but he was versatile enough to play in the middle of the park and that’s obviously turned out to be his best position.
“He was a good kid and there’s been some improvement in him over the years.
“The fact they haven’t conceded a goal when he’s been playing isn’t all down to him obviously, but it tells you that he’s doing a great job in the middle of the pitch.
“He gives the team a real good balance, shows great discipline and recognises that when people go forward, he has to sit in or slide across to make sure the team isn’t in any danger.”
Jack didn’t get off to a great start at Ibrox, being red carded four times in his first season, although two were rescinded.
But ex-Scotland midfielder Hartley had no doubt he had the mental toughness to survive in the furnace of the Old Firm.
He added: “Ryan was brilliant as a kid. He was a tough cookie and he looked after himself off the pitch and could look after himself on it as well. Even as a young boy, he wouldn’t be afraid to stand up for himself and he believed in his ability.
“He was a quiet boy, but on the pitch he didn’t take any prisoners - a real hard young player.
“He came through a good system at Aberdeen and you could see he believed he would go on to play at the top level.
“He was made Aberdeen captain at a very young age, so the club saw a maturity in him and the management staff had belief in him that he could handle it.
“He didn’t have an easy start to his Rangers career with the red cards he picked up but since Steven Gerrard’s arrival, he’s gone to another level. Because Steven was a midfielder himself, I think that’s been a great help to him. Gerrard was box to box, while Ryan sits behind the play more, but he’s chipped in with a few goals as well.
“His Scotland performances under Steve Clarke have been brilliant. We’ve got good midfielders, but he nailed down a place in that team and there’s a big few months ahead with the Euros coming up - hopefully they go ahead. He’ll be a mainstay.”
Former Rangers midfielder and now pundit Alex Rae has seen Jack perform often enough to know how important he’s become to the Ibrox outfit - and he believes the No 8 is benefiting from having Steven Davis in the dressing room and Gerrard and Gary McAllister on the training ground.
Rae said: “Right from the minute Steven came to Ibrox, he’s been very complimentary about Ryan.
“When you highlight that stat about Rangers not conceding a single league goal when he’s played, it’s impressive. A lot of players have contributed - Connor Goldson has played every game - but Ryan has been pivotal to what they’re trying to do.
“He brings so much to the table but I still think there’s more to come in an offensive sense.
“They’ve missed him recently, and Scott Arfield, but look at the levels Glen Kamara and Steven Davis have hit when they’ve been out.
“Davis might be at the far end of his career but I’d say he’s performing better than he did in his first spell at the club.
“I look at Davis and see an all round midfielder. He doesn’t have the legs to go box to box, but his experience and know-how is being passed on to all the midfielders and Jack is benefiting.
“Then you’ve got two of the best midfielders to have played in Britain over the past 20 years in the management team. Gerrard and Gary McAllister had unbelievable careers and it’s no coincidence that the likes of Jack and Glen Kamara are playing out of their skins.”
Jack will be one of Gerrard’s main men as they take on St Johnstone tomorrow night, aiming to take another giant step towards the title.
He’s come a long way since making his debut under Pedro Caixinha in a 2017 European tie that has gone down in infamy.
He’s made Progres, alright.
