Rangers: Sky Sports pundit rages at treatment of Ryan Jack amid anti-Ibrox bias
Kris Boyd has hit out at fans who booed Ryan Jack on international duty for Scotland on the basis that they don’t like Rangers.
The Ibrox midfielder was targeted by a small section of the home crowd in the 3-0 victory over Cyprus on Saturday (25 March), drawing a furious reaction from the pundit who finds the behaviour “mind-boggling”.
The 31-year-old had started alongside Celtic rival Callum McGregor at the heart of the midfield, picking up his 15th cap, and just his fifth since November 2020 as injuries have kept him out of contention, and Boyd was thoroughly unimpressed with his treatment from some fans.
In his Scottish Sun column the Sky Sports pundit said: “ONCE again a small section of the Tartan Army let themselves down at the weekend by booing Ryan Jack.
“The Scotland midfielder was targeted simply because he plays for Rangers, which I find mind-boggling.”
He went on to tell detractors to “get over yourself” whether they dislike the Light Blues or the midfielder, because Jack is still one of the players “most trusted” by manager Steve Clarke, while asking: “How is booing one of your own players, one who never lets you down, going to benefit the team?”
Pathetic
Fans all have rivalries and the Old Firm stir up emotions stronger than most but the point of the national team is to look past that.
If Jack scores a crucial goal or makes a last-ditch tackle are Scotland fans who don’t like him or the club he plays for also going to disavow themselves from that?
It is obviously not going to help the team’s overall fortunes either if one of the players is being deliberately unsettled by his own supporters.
Fans pay to go watch games so they are entitled to have an opinion but what exactly they are hoping to achieve by booing a Rangers player for Scotland is harder to determine.
Jack’s injury problems have robbed him of being a more established member of the national set up, but his recent form for Michael Beale has earned him a place.
His contract is currently expiring in the summer but the Ibrox boss has suggested an extended stay might be on the cards, and with 90 minutes played in four out of the past five SPFL matches he is clearly important to the line up currently.
In other Rangers news, a company “struck gold” by partnering with the Light Blues in time for the title win over Celtic but were totally unprepared for what came next.