Ryan Jack sets Rangers focus as he reveals Steve Clarke's 3 point checklist to seal Euro 2024 spot
The midfielder will be looking to impress and seal a spot in the squad Clarke will take to Germany.
It's been an electrifying campaign for Scotland that has supercharged hope and expectation amongst the Tartan Army going into next summer’s Euros.
But Ryan Jack knows he’ll have to continue turning it on for Rangers if he’s to keep his Deutsch dream sparking. The Ibrox midfielder has two masters to serve as we head into a crucial second half of the season. At club level, he’s only just fought his way into new Gers gaffer Philippe Clement’s plans and with a Viaplay Cup final berth at stake in two and a half weeks’ time, the 31-year-old has every incentive to continue powering through for the Belgian.
But looking longer ahead, Jack is fully aware he’ll have to maintain his recent impressive Light Blues output if he’s to surge past his competitors for a slot in the 23-man Euros squad Steve Clarke is taking with him to Germany. And having registered a grand total of 89 minutes split across only three appearances during the Scots’ sensational qualifying bid, Jack knows it’s by no means certain his name will make Clarke’s cut.
“It’s a great squad,” said Jack. “A lot of the boys who come away including myself don’t play every minute and don’t play every game but all the boys who come away all play a massive part behind the scenes training and preparing for games, doing everything right.
“Everyone knows their role and it’s not always the same players. But you’re part of a great squad and that’s the joys of having strength in depth. If you don’t play, it shows how strong the squad actually is.
“At your club level you need to be at it, you need to be playing regular and well and hopefully that puts you in a good place for coming away. The Euros is why we all want to come away and why you want to be a part of this. The main focus and aim as a player and staff is you want to be a part of a major tournament with the country.
“There’s no way you can just go away and forget you’ve done it. It’ll always be in the back of your mind. There are a lot of games and there’s a lot of football to play before then.
“The manager says after every camp (about how cut throat things are now as he trims the squad). He touched on it again after the game against Norway. He said to go back to your club, stay fit, stay healthy and play well and that’s all everyone can do moving forwards.”
Earlier this month, Clarke’s side marked the third anniversary of that glorious night in Belgrade that at last saw the nation’s all too long wait for a major tournament ticket ended with a nerve-shredding win over Serbia. Jack’s display that evening was every bit as crucial as spot-kick saviour David Marshall’s as the Ibrox anchor-man’s cool control helped steady Scotland’s ship when Serbia piled on the extra-time pressure.
Yet while the Tartan Army were boogieing with delight in the run up to Euro 2020, there was only frustration for Jack as an injury sustained during the run in to Gers’ 2021 title triumph denied him the chance to join Clarke’s side at Hampden and Wembley. But while he may have missed out, Jack believes the experience the rest of his national team colleagues picked up with those high pressure clashes against the Czech Republic, England and Croatia will be of major benefit second time around.
He said: “The main part of the squad has been together for a good number of years so that experience will definitely help going forwards. Hopefully whatever we think went wrong in the last tournament we can put right this tournament.”
The wild scenes in Serbia could not have been in any starker contrast to the almost sedate party atmosphere for that greeted Clarke’s side after Sunday’s campaign curtain closer with Norway ended in a 3-3 draw. Although played behind closed doors, it was manic at the Marakana as Clarke’s side erupted with joy after edging out the hosts on penalties.
This time though, Scotland kicked had their spot in Germany all wrapped up with two games of their qualifying section to spare, rendering what most of the Tartan Army had assumed would be a precarious final-game decider against Stale Solbakken’s side instead a dead rubber. But at least there was a full house there this time as Jack and his team-mates drank in the moment.
He said: “In Serbia we didn’t really get the chance to celebrate in an empty stadium with no fans. We obviously had it ourselves behind closed doors in the hotel when we had a few drinks and whatever.
“But this time it was great to be a part of it and hopefully there are a lot more celebrations to come going forwards. Obviously we wanted to see the game out in the end. The first half we didn’t start well enough I don’t think. Obviously the goals we conceded probably weren’t like us the last couple of games.
"We wanted to go out and give the fans a good performance and a win. We got a draw in the end but the main thing before the campaign started was to get to the Euros and we did that.
“[With the lap of honour] it was nice to have the players and fans together, even the coaching staff. All the people behind the scenes who do all the dirty work.
“They’re not the ones out on the pitch every game but to be together it was good to do a lap, good for the supporters because we didn’t get that last time.
"Hopefully we can continue and hopefully it gives the supporters something to look forward to in the summer. I don’t think you get the time to process it straight away. We all leave after the game and go back to our clubs and you’re straight back into your club action.
“Everyone is so busy at their clubs then you come back in March and that’s when it’ll hit home and prepare with the games we have in March. But obviously delighted to be a part of this and hopefully there’s more to come.”