JACK CAN HANDLE EXTRA LOAD

HANDING Ryan Jack a new one-year contract earlier this month, Rangers manager Michael Beale appeared keen to correct any suggestion that the midfielder is injury prone. ‘Since I’ve been in, Ryan’s been available 80-85 per cent of the time,’ said the Ibrox boss. ‘So he has shown his fitness and he is an integral part of the squad.’ An experienced player, Jack has long stopped caring about what others say or think about him. But, in response to suggestions he may be wise to focus on Rangers over Scotland now he is 31, he is in no doubt he is more than capable of managing the demands of starring for both club and country. Even if that means little down time this summer after he was this week named in Steve Clarke’s squad for the huge Euro 2024 qualifying double-header next month away to Norway and at home to Georgia. ‘Can I still do both? Right now, aye,’ countered Jack, who joined Rangers from Aberdeen in 2017. ‘My mindset is that I love being part of the Scotland set-up and I love playing for Rangers. ‘I have reflected on the season and now I will concentrate on Scotland. And then it’s back to Rangers and my full focus will be on pre-season. ‘Time off will be limited in the summer. Rangers are back on June 30, so it’s not going to be a big break for myself. But I want to be involved in big games for Rangers and big games for Scotland, so it’s a sacrifice you have to make. ‘Look, it doesn’t bother me (when people call me injury prone). It doesn’t bother me one bit. I know what I can give every day to the club, to my team-mates and to the manager. I know what I can bring to the team on a match day and I back myself with that. The manager backs me on it, too. ‘That’s the most important thing. Whatever anyone else says on the outside, I can’t influence it. So I just focus on what matters to me.’ Beale recently bid ‘good riddance’ to a season that ended trophyless after he succeeded the sacked Giovanni van Bronckhorst last November and yesterday continued his summer rebuild by adding Chelsea defender Dujon Sterling on a four-year deal. Midfielder Kieran Dowell has already been recruited from Norwich City while Rangers are also keen on Ecuador international Jose Cifuentes and Manchester United keeper Jack Butland. Sportsmail revealed this week that the Ibrox side have been running checks on Serie A strikers Sam Lammers of Atalanta and Cyriel Dessers of Cremonese. Jack (left) welcomes the increased competition that lies ahead as necessary to help bridge the gap with treble-chasing Celtic as he aims to add to his personal Ibrox haul of one Premiership title and one Scottish Cup. ‘For all of us, I think that (being challenged by new players) is what we want,’ he said. ‘If we’re going to hit our aims and goals next season, we are going to need a strong squad. ‘We are going to need two players, three players, pushing each other every day in training to get the best out of each other.’