Jack intent on making major finals
RYAN JACK is gearing up for a bumper month with club and country, as the Rangers midfielder declared himself desperate to be involved in “something special” with Scotland.
Jack was impressive as Steve Clarke’s team went eight games unbeaten with the 1- 0 win over the Czech Republic on Wednesday night, and he feels he is finally establishing himself at international level.
Now he can’t wait to get his teeth into a crammed schedule that starts with the Old Firm game at Celtic Park tomorrow with Rangers, and culminates in another massive run of games for Scotland, including the Euro 2020 playoff final against Serbia on November 12.
“[ The Czech Republic game] was a massive win,” Jack said. “It keeps us top of the group and we’ve got a big month next month to look forward to.
“It’s going to be a busy schedule, especially with club football. It always is.
“I’ve just got to keep myself fit, keep playing games, and hopefully next month I can be a part of it again, and hopefully we can do something special.”
It may not always have been pretty to watch, but three wins in a week for Scotland has them on the verge not only of qualifying for the Euros next summer, but also close to securing a play- off for the World Cup in Qatar through the Nations League.
“We are building this on clean sheets,” explained Jack. “It’s always good to have good habits and that is one of them.
“You know if you are keeping a clean sheet then you will win most games, especially with the quality we have at the top end of the pitch.”
Teammate Lyndon Dykes, who now has two goals in five starts at international level since opting to represent Scotland over Australia, is also excited by the prospect of taking on the Serbians next month and potentially ending the nation’s long wait for tournament football.
The former Livingston forward reckons that the Scots have to go into that match in
Belgrade believing that they can pull off a result, and he says they are confident they can do just that after their recent run of fine form.
“It’s going to be massive for all the boys and for the country,” Dykes said.
“I’m sure everyone will be excited for that Serbia game to start it off. All the boys will be going back to their clubs now and focusing on that, then we will be focusing on beating Serbia.
“With the boys we have, I’m sure we’re going to be fine. We’re going to be putting 100 percent in, and if we do that, I’m sure we’ll come away with a result.
“Everyone knows it’s going to be a hard game with the players they have, but we just have to keep that momentum going, be confident and back ourselves.
“It couldn’t have gone any better in the last three games. All the boys are really enjoying it, the momentum is there, and another clean sheet [ against the Czech Republic] too, so it’s been good.”
Dykes has been pleased with how he has adapted to international football.
“Personally, it’s been really good,” he said. “The manager is getting his point across well and all the players are taking it in, and as you can see on the pitch, we’re getting results as well.”