Jack hits out at ‘shocking’ challenge by Kipre

RYAN JACK has slammed Motherwell defender Cedric Kipre for the ‘shocking’ challenge that cost him six months of his Rangers career. The midfielder’s debut season at Ibrox was ended on December 27 when a clash with Kipre in a Premiership meeting left Jack with knee ligament damage. The following day, former Rangers manager Graeme Murty cleared the Fir Park centre-back of blame and described the incident — which wasn’t punished by referee John Beaton — as a ‘coming together’. Jack, however, has now broken his silence to deliver a very different

verdict as he seeks to make up for lost time at the start of Steven Gerrard’s tenure. ‘I thought it was a shocking tackle, to be honest,’ said the 26-year-old, now back in full training. ‘There is no point me saying I thought it was a good challenge or an unlucky challenge. I thought he waited until I got the ball and then knew he had a chance to hurt me and he did.’ Asked if Murty — now back in charge of the Ibrox Under-20s — had spoken to him before discussing Kipre’s intent, Jack added: ‘No, not really. Obviously, we found out the (scan) results and Graeme rang me and said: “It’s bad news. All the best. The club will look after you”.’ Murty’s stance at the time provoked an angry reaction from some Rangers fans on social media, who argued he should have stood up for Jack. ‘Everyone has opinions,’ added the Scotland cap. ‘If you sat down ten people, maybe five would say it was a shocking tackle and five would say it wasn’t too bad. ‘If I’d been asked at the time, it would have been the same. I thought it was a shocking tackle at the time and I still think that. ‘But, as I say, nothing was done. The referee didn’t even give a foul. There you go, certain people get sent off for things that aren’t sending offs and people get away with bad challenges that put people out for six months.’ Jack was sent off four times last term but two of those — against Hibernian and Kilmarnock — were rescinded on appeal. Asked if he thought his reputation had started to unfairly go before him with referees, he replied: ‘I don’t know. It’s done and nothing I say is going to change that, but it was a frustrating period to be missing games through suspension. ‘Then, after that, I got the bad injury and the season is done. There’s no going back.’