Ryan Jack: “We told you so…”

We’ve been accused of talking out our rear ends now and then here on Ibrox Noise.

And like all fans and fansites, we’re guilty of that occasionally. Hands up, you got us. Yes, we get things wrong because hey, no one gets it all right.

But we’re shamelessly going to make notable reference to one we called a year ago, and which a few seemed to agree with, and which time has borne to not only be true, but going by last night especially, ridiculously true.

Earlier this year we put out this piece discussing how Ryan Jack could be the 10 we didn’t know we had, that his development as an attacking midfielder was increasing at a rapid degree and there was no one better than Steven Gerrard to learn his trade under.

Just two people disagreed on that article – Will, who we will happily call out as being regularly on this site to disagree with us whatever we said (and who mercifully has vanished after accusing us of being Celtic fans) and called Jack ‘mediocre’, and GersJimbo (sorry Jim!) but the rest were on side with us.

And time has born most of us out to be bang on.

Jack’s development not only as a number 10 but our best player (we got that one right too, chaps) in terms of importance has taken some fans by surprise, but his display last night was without doubt the best Rangers player performance in years.

In 60 minutes he did more damage than Dorrans, Pena, and a host of other attempted 10s at Ibrox did in their entire times in Govan put together – Jack was unplayable, untouchable, and instead of complacency on his new megadeal taking him to 2023 Jack has used his refreshed contract and handsome new wage instead to inspire him to new levels.

He’s become the most important player at Ibrox, the one the team just can’t function without. There’s no coincidence our best performances appear when he’s in the XI – and he’s only going to get better.

Steven Gerrard worked miracles with this guy – he’s turned an above average DM into maybe the country’s best AM, and a player who few would have attributed any sort of monetary value on (one of those players who doesn’t seem to have a price tag attached) is just as valuable as an Alfredo Morelos, even if he’s a bit older.

Truth is, Ryan Jack is completely unsellable now. At any price. It’s going to sound ludicrous but if someone offered us £30M tomorrow for him we’d say no. He’s that important to Rangers’ chances of stopping 9IAR, that important to how Stevie plays.

Every player has his price, yes.

Just not Ryan Jack.