100,000 fans in Seville would love to be in our position... we have to make them proud
FOR Ryan Jack, the chance to make history in tonight’s Europa League final brings pride, pressure and, most of all, privilege. The Rangers midfielder looks at the extraordinary influx of supporters to Seville and knows each and every one of them would love to be able to control their club’s destiny.
Instead, that responsibility lies squarely with the players Giovanni van Bronckhorst will select for the monumental showdown with Eintracht Frankfurt inside the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
Jack will surely be among them. A composed, tactically disciplined influence on the Rangers team, his return to regular availability since February has been a huge boost in progressing through the knock-out rounds.
He will have a significant say on whether the Ibrox class of 2022 are able to match 1972’s heroes by bringing home a continental trophy. And, as the 30-year-old aims to set a tone on the pitch, he will be inspired by the immense support from the stands and much further beyond.
‘Definitely,’ said Jack. ‘You see the fans travelling in numbers and all sorts of routes to get here to support us.
‘Obviously, it is unfortunate that only some will get in the stadium but, for us, we take a lot of pride in that support we get and the backing we get.
‘I said before that we are just the lucky ones who get to play in the final. There are 100,000 people who would want to be in our position.
‘We have to put in a good performance tomorrow night and make them proud.’
Sitting at the pre-match media conference last night, Jack also reflected on just how far he — and Rangers — have travelled in European competition.
His first season at Ibrox delivered the humiliation of defeat to Progres Niederkorn in Luxembourg during the dismal managerial tenure of Pedro Caixinha.
‘It has been a crazy journey, if you like,’ continued Jack.
‘I would have never thought that I would be sitting here speaking to you about potentially playing in a Europa League final.
‘I am proud and grateful to be here and hopefully tomorrow night we can take the trophy home.’
For long enough, doubt existed over whether Jack would be able to recapture peak form. A calf issue led to nine months out of action and saw him miss last summer’s European Championship with Scotland.
Although he returned to the Rangers first-team in November, it took a further three months for him to be able to churn out consistent performances of the type that built his reputation.
Asked if that difficult experience made this opportunity all the more special, Jack said: ‘It’s definitely some light at the end of the tunnel.
‘Missing the Euros that summer was a tough moment, no doubt, but I worked hard in the off season. And then it took a bit longer than I thought it was going to originally.
‘It was a long journey, a lot of hard work, a lot of long hours. But times like this make it all the sweeter. Hopefully, this is just the start of something special.’
Jack and his Ibrox colleagues have certainly exhibited exceptional fitness levels over the last month or so, defeating both Celtic and Braga in extra-time to help set up a thrilling end to a 65-game season.
That fortitude will be tested again this evening. A 9pm kick-off — local time — will still see temperatures of around 32 degrees. Not for nothing is Seville known as the ‘frying pan of Spain’.
‘It’s going to be tough,’ said Jack. ‘We’re obviously not used to the heat and it’s going to be 30-odd degrees.
‘But, as players and a club, we have played in hot weather many a time. This is another night when we need to take that on board and make sure that we’re on top of our hydration.
‘We have people in the club who can look after that and keep us right.
‘Look, we are obviously delighted to be here and we’re excited. You can imagine the anticipation this week, leading up to the game and travelling out here.
‘But the bigger picture is that we deserve to be here. We’ve had a great tournament. We are coming here to win and that’s the main objective.’
The opportunity at hand is immense. Victory would match the triumph in Barcelona 50 years ago, when Rangers beat Dynamo Moscow to lift the Cup Winners’ Cup, and lead to some redecoration of the area in the training ground that exhibits Rangers’ honours.
‘Even in the meeting yesterday, the manager touched on that,’ said Jack. ‘He said we’ve got a chance as a team and a club and a staff to change the “1” on the wall to a “2”. You don’t need any more motivation than that to go and try and create history and be remembered at the club for a long time.’
Captain James Tavernier said the squad would invest every available ounce of effort in pursuit of that aim.
‘Over the years, we have recruited very good players, especially this team that I’m playing in now,’ said Tavernier.
‘It’s the best changing room I’ve been in. We’ve got a mixture of youth and experience.
‘Come matchday, you now know one another and we will go to the death for one another.
‘In any situation, I know the boys will prevail and the character of every single one of them will shine through. It’s a delight to be captain of these boys.’