Barry Ferguson offers Ryan Jack verdict live on air after Rangers international retirement mooted
Barry Ferguson has admitted that Ryan Jack’s recent injury record is a “concern” but doesn’t believe that the Rangers star will be keen to retire ahead of Euro 2024.
The 31-year-old midfielder missed the Light Blues’ clash with Aberdeen on Sunday (26 November) with an injury he picked up whilst on international duty, prompting Philippe Clement to suggest that conversations may need to occur over his international future.
While both Ferguson and Guidi were in agreement that keeping the midfielder fit is crucial for the remainder of the campaign, neither pundit believes that Jack should be forced into missing out on next summer’s tournament.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show (27 November, 55:50) he said: “It’s a concern because obviously he’s picking up niggly injuries and he’s an important player for Rangers, I know Cifuentes came in yesterday and I thought he did well.
“But I think you need a Ryan Jack with experience and know-how of the Scottish game, you need him in there. In terms of going forward, I would imagine that Ryan Jack would want to be going to Germany. He missed the Euros with an injury.”
Guidi agreed saying: “Steve Clarke rates him highly and I’m not saying that you dismiss what your manager wants but ultimately that’s an important part of the conversation. It’s Ryan Jack’s decision he can’t be forced to retire from international football, it’s his decision.
“I think you find a solution, you have a dialogue between the club and country and you find a solution so that if Jack is good enough to be selected by Steve Clarke and I think he will be, he gets going to the Euros.”
Let him play
Between now and the end of Rangers’ season, there is only one more international break, with Jack expected to be a part of Clarke’s side for the international friendlies during the March block of fixtures.
That means that there is only one more block of fixtures in which Jack could theoretically pick up a knock whilst on international duty with Scotland between now and the end of the campaign and it isn’t even for another four months.
Jack is also by no means a regular starter for the national side. Across the November international break he only actually played for 11 minutes, so it is unlikely that he will be unfortunate enough to pick up another injury whilst away in March, with any injury more likely to be sustained while he is with Rangers.
Therefore, it makes no sense for the 31-year-old and Clement to discuss his international future until after Euro 2024. Jack has the chance to play at an international tournament next summer and he shouldn’t throw away or be forced to miss that opportunity just because of a single injury during the international break.
In other Rangers news, John Brown has revealed what he told Ross McCausland in a secret conversation in pre-season