Why Rangers' Ryan Jack deserves more recognition - Jonny McFarlane

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You'd wager there's not a Rangers fan in Glasgow who'd suggest a fit Ryan Jack isn't an essential cog in the Ibrox squad when fit, so it's always surprising to see so much questioning of his prominent role with Scotland.

Steve Clarke has made it clear time and again through selection that he admires what the 31-year-old brings to the international fold.

The former Kilmarnock manager recognises that international football operates at a different pace and puts a premium on ball retention, one of Jack's most precious assets. He's also a tactical sponge who can take on complex roles and operate them to the letter, as we saw under Steven Gerrard when he single-handedly solved the years of debate around how to best cover for James Tavernier's rampaging runs.

It was Jack's dogged commitment to cover his teammate that unleashed the very best of the English right-back. It was selfless and utterly essential to ensure Gerrard's Rangers had balance. That's the kind of teammate you get with Jack, someone you'd want on your side.

So it was baffling to see social media ferment over his selection at the heart of the midfield against Cyprus and former international Alan Rough suggesting 'the boy from Rangers' hadn't impressed in the match.

It's hard to correlate Rough's comments with the actual performance. Jack's stats speak for themselves during his 67 minutes in dark blue, including a pass completion rate comfortably into the 90 percent range.

Now, Scotland have a few gifted midfielders but there are several popular misconceptions surrounding them, that Clarke to his credit has not been taken in by.

It's not unusual to hear John McGinn, Scott McTominay or Callum McGregor cited as competition. They're all very good players in their own right but none of them offer you what Jack does in terms of defensive and tactical nous.

Despite his size, McTominay is a box-to-box type, not a sitter. McGinn can get you goals and gives energy but offers very little defensive discipline and rampages around leaving big gaps. McGregor is a fine player at the base of a dominant Celtic side's midfield but doesn't have a defensive bone in his body and can let players run off the back of him. Let's not beat around the bush, Scotland aren't a team that's going to be playing gung-ho very often so you need some salt to balance out the sweet.

READ MORE: The making of Todd Cantwell: Rangers' football-mad maverick's origins

And nowhere can Jack's quality can be felt better than when he's not in the team. His absence from the European Championships was so keenly felt and there was nobody naturally inclined to do the midfield dirty work.

There are some in the Rangers fanbase who are wishing this all moot. Given his recent issues around carefully managing injuries, there's a school of thought that it might be better for his Rangers future to call time on his international days and concentrate on playing for a few more years in Govan.

While an extended contract will be top of his agenda, departing the international scene seems an idea Jack himself appears to show little appetite for. He clearly wants to represent his country and it's not hard to see why testing himself against the best players in world football alongside his countrymen would remain of significant appeal.

He may not be as physically robust as he once was, but Jack's performances so far this term suggests there's a fair bit left in his tank just yet.

Against Spain tonight, he will be essential, if selected, in holding back the tide of a midfield likely to include some of the finest talent in Europe with the likes of Rodri and Dani Olmo. But he won't feel intimidated. Jack knows he was a driving force in pushing his team to a Europa League final less than a year ago.

It was his return alongside John Lundstram that gave Giovanni van Bronckhorst the stability to build a side that came within an Aaron Ramsay penalty of immortality.

He can stand alongside his Scotland colleagues and hold his head high.

It's time for people put petty tribalism to one side and recognise, as Steve Clarke does, that any good side needs balance - and Ryan Jack is the man to bring it.