JAMIE WON’T BE FAZED BY STRIKER TEST
and be looking to play well, keep in the manager’s thoughts and I’m sure come March everyone will be involved.
“You want to win matches – you don’t want to come away and get beaten, then go back to your club not feeling good about yourself.
“Thankfully this trip we’ve been able to get two wins, so that helps your confidence going back to your club. There’s a lot of big games coming up and a lot to look forward to.
“It’s playing on a Thursday, recover, play on a Sunday, recover, then play midweek.
“You don’t really get time to think about it. You just take every game as it comes.
“If you have a bad result you want to put it right and you’ve got games so close to each other so you get the chance to do that.”
Rangers could qualify for the Europa League last 32 with a game to spare if they beat Feyenoord in Rotterdam next week – and Young Boys see off Porto.
But the former Aberdeen man – rewarded for his form with a contract extension last month – isn’t getting ahead of himself.
He said: “There’s two tough games coming up. Feyenoord away will be very tough then Young Boys at home, who’ve been doing very well in the group.
“We’ve got a lot of work to go before we can say we’ve achieved anything.
“The next two games will be massive. The games I’ve had over the last two years have helped me get to this stage and playing for my country.” First up is the bread and butter of a trip to Hamilton in the Premiership and Jack doesn’t accept there’s a difference in intensity between the two.
“We’ve had a great month with great results and Sunday will be a big test for us. It’s up to us to show up on the day.”
The former Aberdeen man was on the receiving end of some rough treatment from Kazakhstan on Tuesday night but recovered from a brutal over-the-ball challenge to help the Scots fight back for victory.
Now he hopes the positive vibes from three wins in a row can help Steve Clarke’s side through the play-offs in March.
Jack said: “My leg is fine. There was a few naughty challenges – I don’t know what was behind that but the referee is there to protect us.
“Since I’ve come along, the manager has said he wants positivity and everyone wanting to be here to play for Scotland.
“He doesn’t want any negativity and this week we’ve had that. We’ve managed to end it on a good way with three wins in three games and that takes us into the play-offs in March.”
BRIAN RICE is sure rookie defender Jamie Hamilton will relish the challenge of putting the shackles on Scotland’s top marksman Alfredo Morelos.
Rising teenage star Hamilton is enjoying a run in the Accies first team and has even reportedly caught the eye of Everton scouts.
Hamilton was sent off on his Premiership debut against Motherwell earlier this season but has bounced back to impress.
The 17-year-old was introduced as a sub with Hamilton four goals down at Ibrox and Jermain Defoe netted a fifth soon after to complete his hat-trick.
Morelos also came off the bench that day but is in red-hot form. The Accies boss is down to the bare bones in defence but has every faith in Hamilton ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Rice said: “If Jamie plays he has to perform to a level to stop probably one of the best strikers in the league scoring a goal.
“It’s great for everyone else to say that but I’m trying to win a game and I don’t want it to be a good experience for him. I want it to be, ‘This is what I do for a living’.
“The good thing about Jamie is his temperament.
BY GAVIN BERRY
You could play him anywhere and you wouldn’t know if he was nervous or not. He doesn’t get fazed by it. If he makes a mistake it doesn’t seem to bother him.
“So I’ve every confidence if Jamie plays it doesn’t matter who we’re playing and where we’re playing, he will relish it.
“He’s a kid with great potential but that’s what it is at this minute, potential. He’s 17 and he’s had six first-team appearances so far at centre-half, in the middle of defence beside Sam Stubbs who is only 20.
“He’s living up to everything we expect of him.”
Rice faces a daunting challenge with so many players struggling. He said: “We’ve got a couple of suspensions, Sam and Scott Martin, and our injury list is extensive.
“It’s not been ideal but we’re at Hamilton so we know there’s a pathway for the youngsters.
“So if some of the experienced players don’t make it some of the younger ones will step in.
It’s probably one of the best Rangers teams I’ve seen in a long time attackingwise and defensively as well they are hard to get at.”
RYAN JACK