Ryan Jack addresses his Rangers contract situation and reveals secret behind Philippe Clement turnaround

Scotland midfielder is enjoying life under Rangers’ new manager but is relaxed over his own future

Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack in action during the 2-1 win over Sparta Prague in the Europa League. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

The biggest tests for Rangers under Philippe Clement are still to come. Next month’s trip to Seville to play Real Betis, the Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen and the derby with Celtic will provide greater illumination of the progress made on the Belgian’s watch.

So far, though, Clement can do no wrong. Even on the occasions when Rangers have been decidedly under-par, in particular the league match against Hearts, they have found a way to prosper as the new manager continues to provide clear guidance to a squad that had undoubtedly lost its way under predecessor Michael Beale.

Livingston on a Sunday lunchtime is the sort of fixture that would have had the large travelling support chewing nervously at their fingernails at the start of the season but there is a renewed swagger about Rangers that has rippled through the stands. They will expect their team to win at the Tony Macaroni today and they probably will.

Ryan Jack celebrates scoring Rangers' opener in the 5-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

No player has yet been able to fully articulate just what exactly Clement has done to set the ship back on course but themes have emerged: a clarity of message and instruction, roles clearly defined, an insistence on high-tempo, high-energy football. Like a schoolteacher, the former Monaco boss has planned his lessons carefully, aware of the dangers of overwhelming his students with too much detail, too soon.

“A lot of the time when a new manager comes in there’s a lot of excitement; it’s a new voice and a new training regime,” said midfielder Ryan Jack. “As players you have to listen and focus.

“He has come in and told us he’s going to put his points across but not all at once. He said, ‘week by week, we’ll get better and I’ll get more things across to you’ but the main thing is that we still have to win in this period — we can’t be using that as an excuse not to win games.

“I think he’s done that brilliantly. The way he’s spoken to us and the things he’s implemented in training, it hasn’t been too much for us going on to the pitch.

“He has a vision for us week by week, month by month. He said that it won’t be overnight, that he just clicks his fingers and everything is going to be fine. It will take time.”

Jack was nursing a minor injury when Clement arrived but returned to the starting line-up against Dundee – scoring the opening goal – before retaining his place for subsequent wins over Hearts and Sparta Prague.

The 31-year-old is now in his seventh season at Ibrox after signing a one-year extension in May. Conversations about another deal on top of that are yet to begin but Jack is not getting unduly worked up about it.

“There will probably be a chat but I wouldn’t imagine it will be anytime soon,” he added. “Maybe after Christmas and New Year, we’ll see where we’re at, see what the club’s vision is for next season and the season after. We’ll take it from there. I’m quite relaxed about it. I was in the same situation last year.

“I love playing for the club and you want to stay at the top as long as you can. So we’ll see what happens.”

John Lundstram is another in the same boat. The midfielder has looked like a player reinvigorated under Clement, the supporters at Ibrox rolling out his old song about “winning them the Europa League” during Thursday’s victory over Sparta that took Rangers a significant step closer to reaching the knockout phase.

“This season he’s maybe had ups and downs, like us all,” added Jack of Lundstram. “But since the new manager has come in you can see, stride by stride, his performances get better. He’s a big leader in the changing room and a big part of the squad.

“He loves playing here so I’m sure at some point the club will sit down with John. But at the moment we just need to focus on keeping going and winning games. When the club wants to sit down with us, then that will happen.”

The din that spread across Ibrox when Rangers went two goals ahead on Thursday sparked memories of the team’s run to the Europa League final, even if they did have to hold on nervously towards the end. A win over Aris Limassol in their next match will guarantee their passage through.

“It’s the group stage and we knew that if we won against Sparta, it would go a long way,” added Jack. “Then we have another home game that we need to go and win to get through the group and see where it takes us.

“You obviously want momentum. The Sparta game was probably more demanding physically than what we’ve had in the last couple of weeks domestically. But I thought we showed up well and it shows that going from domestic to Europe, we can handle it. We just want to keep that going.”

That means winning at Livingston today, something Clement was already thinking about as he walked up the tunnel on Thursday night.

“Straight after the Sparta game, the manager said. ‘I know you probably want to enjoy the night and enjoy the win, but our thoughts are straight on to Livingston’.

“That’s the type of manager he is. It’s over to us now to go on and get three points.”