Gerrard glad to give Jack run-out as fitness recovers
STEVEN GERRARD admits Ryan Jack’s second-half cameo was a reward for his Ibrox endeavours as he detailed a “super important” fortnight that will see him step up his Rangers return.
Jack made his first appearance since February as he came off the bench during the victory over Ross County that saw Rangers consolidate their lead at the top of the Premiership.
The midfielder missed the champions’ run-in last term and was denied the chance to represent Scotland at the European Championships this summer.
But he was given a rapturous welcome by the Ibrox crowd as he replaced John Lundstram and helped Gerrard’s side record a comfortable 4-2 win.
Gerrard said: “You could feel that energy, feel that appreciation for what he has given to this club.
“Ryan is the type of person that represents the fans on the pitch and I think you could feel that energy when he came on.
“He deserved that because he has worked ever so hard and he has had some frustrating days. He has been down.
“It is not nice being injured but he has put in a lot of sacrifice and lot of work so I wanted to reward him and boost him.
“Now the next two weeks for Ryan are super important so we can try and get him more ready and try and get him in and around the semi-final as well.”
The return of Jack was another welcome boost for Gerrard after he saw Ryan Kent steal the show on his first start since the defeat to Lyon in September.
Kent capped a fine performance with a stunning long-range effort to ensure Rangers came from behind and went on to clinch a comfortable triumph.
Gerrard told RangersTV: “He has come back in a top place. You see the difference he made from the bench in midweek and I thought he looked really dangerous and really sharp.
“I thought he has built on that again today, it was a strong 60 minutes and the goal is world class, without a shadow of a doubt.
“We just need now to top
him up from a physical point of view to make sure that he is really flying going into the semi-final.”
Rangers enjoy a four-point cushion over Celtic at the top of the table during the final international break of the year. And Gerrard has warned his players to keep the champions at the forefront of their minds whilst they are representing their countries over the next fortnight.
Gerrard said: “Not as important as the semi-final. For me, your bread and butter is all about your club.
“They have been told to look after themselves. we wish them good luck and wish them all the best but it is about Rangers and they need to come back in the best place and ready for a semifinal that will be a tough game but one we are certainly looking forward to.”
Scotland boss Steve Clarke will call on the services of Jon McLaughlin and Nathan Patterson during the World Cup clashes with Moldova and Denmark.
The 20-year-old was given a run-out in an unfamiliar left-back berth for the closing stages and will now join up with the national squad.
“A couple of reasons,” Gerrard said when asked about the decision to utilise Patterson on the opposite flank. “Obviously one is offloading Leon [Balogun].
“But Calvin [Bassey] and Nathan are at an age where they need to be tested in different situations, they need to keep growing, learning and evolving and playing out of position in different areas of the pitch will be good for their growth and where they want to get to.
“He also deserved a cameo and some minutes because he has been training ever so well.”