Jack Hendry has packed a lot into his career to date, from his emergence at Partick Thistle to his current home in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq via League One in England, Dundee, Celtic, Australia, Belgium and Italy.
Along the way, the Scotland international has played under more than a few managers who left a lasting impact on him, and none more so than a man he worked with at Club Brugge, Philippe Clement.
Hendry was hugely impressed by the Belgian, and says that he had a significant influence on his game, with his attention to detail allowing him to take his defending to another level.
It is no surprise to the 28-year-old then that Clement has had such a transformative effect on Rangers’ season since his arrival in Glasgow, with his relentless pursuit of success a perfect fit for the demands that come with the Ibrox job.
“He signed me,” Hendry said.
“He’s had a massive part in my development. I was grateful to him at that moment, that experience in the Champions League brought my game on a lot as well.
“He treated me really well. I had numerous one-on-one sessions with him; he showed me tapes of various center halves and what he believed I was capable of, and he genuinely believed in me.
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“I was disappointed that his time at Monaco was cut short, but his track record and skill as a manager speak for themselves.
“He is just an excellent coach,” He has a winning mentality and is determined to win because he understands the game.
“He was very driven and wanted to succeed, and I think all of the players looked up to him and listened to him when he spoke. In that sense, we are kind of similar.”
Hendry is presently managed by yet another Rangers alumnus, Steven Gerrard, the legendary Liverpool player and former Ibrox boss, who oversees Al-Ettifaq.
“The gaffer, Gerrard, has also been excellent with me,” he remarked.
“Since I have been there, he has been accurate with me and has faith in me.
He played a major role in my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia; if he had not been the manager, I doubt I would have done it, but he and his coaching staff have been excellent to me.
“Once more, a different style of play, but I am having a great time playing with him.”
“Clearly, Gerrard’s career speaks for itself. He was Liverpool’s captain and a major attraction. He still is, and every day in practice and competition, his winning mentality is evident.
“It is great to play under him, but he has very high standards.”
The fact that Gerrard has given the Scot more responsibility is one of the key reasons Hendry has prospered under his leadership.
He declared, “I have played every minute.”
To be honest, I am having a great time playing football. He is given me a lot of defensive attention, and I like being that type of leader in the back four.
“Having that foundation is crucial for any club, and we have been playing really well defensively in the league—I believe we have the second-best defensive record.
“That means a lot to me, and maybe we can be the best at some point. He is probably given me a lot of responsibility to be a key member of that back four, which is something I enjoy and thrive on.
“With the other coaches out there, as well, we have good relationships in that regard.”
The many critics of the Saudi Pro League will undoubtedly minimize Hendry’s delight in his team’s defensive record, but he is quick to point out that he plays against some of the best attacking players in the world every week.
For example, when the current international window ends, he will face Al-Ahli.
“Roberto Firminho, Riyad Mahrez, and Allan Saint-Maximin are their frontline,” he remarked.
“Well, those are really good players.
“It is easy to view it in certain ways if you do not watch it every week, but when you look at the caliber of players who play on a weekly basis, particularly in the front end of the pitch, it is incredibly strong and that will only get stronger.”
Since it is a new league, everyone has an opinion. But I live there every day; I am in it.
“It is like night and day now compared to when I went out, even from the perspective of my own club. The amenities are perhaps Premier League caliber. With the resources we currently possess, you have no justifications.
“Our squad has improved significantly with the players on it thanks to the additions we have made.
Nothing is going to be perfect, especially in a league that is constantly changing, but that is just the nature of the society we live in where people are constantly finding fault. However, I can assure you that it will rank among the top leagues worldwide. I do not only say that because I live there and witness it all the time. I can see the stadiums, the infrastructure, and their ideas.
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I am thrilled to be a part of it because it is going to be amazing. It will be fascinating to follow its development.
Despite the recent brutal run of results, which included a 4-0 loss to The Netherlands on Friday night, Hendry has been able to hold his own against players of that caliber, which has helped him both improve his own game and bring confidence to Scotland’s matches against some of the best international teams in the world.
Hendry is convinced that the current run of six games without a win does not reflect the potential of what Steve Clarke’s team can do at the Euros, even if the result did not truly reflect the Scottish effort on the night.
“I believe the group as a whole has moved past that; we no longer feel afraid to play against these teams,” he remarked.
“We just played France and England; although the results were disappointing, the boys learned a lot from the experience. We acknowledge that, in terms of the outcome, we could have done so much better.
“I believe it is about learning from those experiences we have against the teams we want to be competing against, namely Spain, England, and France.” Hopefully, we can change those findings to show more promising outcomes.
“We want to play and compete against those countries and get results against them, so there is nothing to fear.”
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