by Jack Hendry’s career has covered a lot so far, from his emergence at Partick Thistle to his current home in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq through League One in England, Dundee, Celtic, Australia, Belgium and Italy.
Along the way, the Scotland international played under more than a few managers who left a lasting impression on him, and more than a man he worked with at Club Brugge, Philippe Clement.
Hendry was impressed with the Belgian, and says it has had a significant impact on his game, with attention to detail allowing him to take his defense to another level.
It is therefore no surprise to the 28-year-old that Clement has had such a transformative impact on Rangers’ season since arriving in Glasgow, as he relentlessly pursues success to match the demands of the Ibrox job.
“He signed me,” Hendry said.
“He played a huge part in my development. I was grateful to him at that moment, that experience in the Champions League improved my game a lot.
“It was very good to me. I had a lot of face to face stuff, he showed me clips of different mares and what he thought I could do and he really believed in me.
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“I was disappointed that he was cut when he went to Monaco, but his pedigree speaks for itself and he is a very good manager.
“He’s just a really good coach. He understands the game and has that will to win, that winning mentality.
“We’re similar in that way, he was very driven and he wanted to succeed, and I think all the players looked up to him and listened to him when he spoke, and they respect him.”
Hendry currently plays under a different manager with Rangers links, of course, with former Ibrox boss and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard in charge of Al-Ettifaq.
“The gaffer, Gerrard, he was very good to me too,” he said.
“He believes in me, and he’s been there for me since I’ve been there.
“He was very involved in me going over to Saudi Arabia, I don’t know if I would have done it if he hadn’t been the manager, but he was very good to me along with his coaching staff.
“Again, a different way to play, but I’m really enjoying playing under it.”
“Gerrard of course, his career speaks for itself. He was the captain and such a focal point for Liverpool. He still is, and his winning spirit is evident every day in training and in games.
“His standards are really high, and he’s really good to play under.”
One of the main reasons why Hendry has flourished under Gerrard is the responsibility he has placed on the shoulders of the Scots.
“I played every minute,” he said.
“I’m really enjoying my football to be honest, it’s made me a focal point in defense and I enjoy that, I like being that kind of leader in the back four.
“In any team, it’s important to have that foundation, and defensively in the league we’re doing very well, I think we have the second best defensive record.
“For me, that means a lot, and hopefully at some point we can be the best, but it probably gave me a lot of responsibility to be a key part of that back four and I like it that, I am successful from that.
“We have a good relationship that way, and with the other coaches out there.”
The Saudi Pro League’s many detractors will no doubt boast of his side’s defensive record, although Hendry is quick to point out that he is coming up against some of the best attacking talent in the world on a regular basis. weekly.
When the current international window is over, for example, he will come up against Al-Ahli.
“Their front line is (Roberto) Firminho, (Riyad) Mahrez and (Allan) Saint-Maximin,” he said.
“So, those are quality players.
“Obviously if you’re not watching it every week it’s easy to overlook in some ways, but if you look at the quality of players who are playing on a weekly basis – especially in the front end of the pitch – it’s amazing strong. and then just keep growing.
“It’s a new series and everyone had their opinion about it. But I’m there, I live there every day.
“Even in terms of my own club, the difference between when I went out and how it is now is night and day. The facilities are probably top of the Premier League. What we have now, you have no excuse.
“With the players that are there, our teams have come a long way with the signings that we have made.
“It’s just the world we live in, people always have choices and nothing is going to be perfect, especially in a developing league. But I can guarantee you that it will be one of the best leagues in the world. I’m only saying that because I’m in it, I see it every day. I see the infrastructure, the stadiums, what are their plans.
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“It’s going to be mega and I’m excited to be a part of it. It will be very exciting to see where he goes as he grows.”
Hendry has helped Hendry improve his own game, but convincing him to play against some of the best international teams in the world with Scotland, despite the brutal results that continued with the recent 4-0. loss to the Netherlands on Friday night.
If that scoreline didn’t reflect Scotland’s performance on the night either, in his view, the current run of six games without a win does not reflect the potential Steve Clarke’s men can achieve at the Euros, and Hendry is adamant. he has not shaken her confidence.
“I think that’s the group as a whole now, there’s no element of fear, we’re excited to play against these teams,” he said.
“We came up against England and France recently, the results were disappointing but they were great learning experiences for the boys. We know we could be much better in terms of results.
“I think it’s taking those experiences against Spain, England and France – the teams we want to compete with – and learning from them. Hopefully we can change those results to more positive ones.
“We have no fear and we want to play and compete against those countries and get results against them.”
