THE dream and the reality were very different for Ryan Jack during his first season at Ibrox. Now, his Rangers experience is what he thought he would be.

Jack signed a three-year deal when he completed his move from Aberdeen last summer but life in Light Blue was tough at times for the midfielder.

He was part of the side that was humiliated by Progres Niederkorn in the first round of the Europa League and he saw red in the matches with Hibernian and Hamilton as Rangers quickly lost ground in the Premiership.

His third dismissal came on what proved to be the last game in charge for Pedro Caixinha as Kilmarnock hammered the final nail into his coffin at Ibrox by snatching a late draw .

The fourth red card of the campaign came on his return to Pittodrie in December and the season would end prematurely after a reckless tackle from Cedric Kipre saw Jack sustain serious knee damage just a fortnight later.

While he embarked on the long road to recovery, Rangers would suffer blow after blow under Graeme Murty and the final whistle at Easter Road in May was greeted with relief by everyone at Ibrox as a wretched season was finally brought to a long-awaited end.

A new era has given Jack a fresh start, though. The arrival of Steven Gerrard has transformed Rangers’ fortunes and Jack has benefitted more than most.

He has the ideal role model in the Liverpool and England legend and his performances have been consistently impressive at home and abroad.

A handful of those showings have earned rave reviews from his manager and the 38-year-old claimed he was ‘jealous’ of a ‘stunning’ display against Osijek at Ibrox in early August.

The faith Gerrard has in Jack was shown once again on Friday morning as the 26-year-old put pen-to-paper on a new deal until 2021.

It was a move that suited all parties and a moment that means a lot to Jack as he goes from strength to strength.

“I’m delighted,” Jack said. “The club approached me and said they wanted to extend the contract and I was delighted to. I am enjoying my football, more than I ever have in my career.

“All the coaching staff have been different class with the whole squad since they came in, not just myself.

“You can go all the way back to the pre-season trip. It has been great.

“As I have said before, I am learning off two of the best midfielders to have played the game and I think there is a lot more to come from myself. I see this as the place to hopefully produce that.”

The injury that Jack sustained against Motherwell was serious enough to rule him out for the rest of the campaign and was a real blow to the former Aberdeen captain and his new team-mates.

He had to watch on as Rangers toiled under Murty and finished the campaign with Jimmy Nicholl at the helm.

But the start of the new season was the date which he was able to focus on and work towards at Ibrox.

“I don’t think I was ever worried,” Jack said. “Obviously when you come to a club and you have a bad injury and go through dark times then it is tough.

“But I just used that to give me motivation and determination when I came back. I knew there was a new coaching staff coming in and right from pre-season I wanted to use what happened as motivation and try and make sure I could be in their thoughts and plans for this season.”

The praise that Gerrard has given Jack at times this term has been glowing, but it has also been deserved.

His role in the middle of the park is crucial to the way that Rangers play and he is a calm but combative presence.

Jack has the physical and technical attributes that Gerrard requires, but he also has the mental ones as well.

“I think all footballers are mentally strong because it is all good and well when you are winning games every week and everyone loves you,” Jack said. “But as soon as there are a couple of bad results and you go through tough times, that is when you are mentally tested as an individual and a squad.

“I have said before that I think we have got great characters and a great group of lads at this club and when we have had tough times and sticky results we have always come out the other end. That is testament to the squad we have.”

Gerrard has spoken extensively about the importance of mentality at Ibrox and in Jack he has a player that is capable of handling the pressure of life in Glasgow and at the Old Firm.

He is vocal when he needs to be but his actions often speak louder than words as he asserts himself in matches.

It is James Tavernier that wears the armband on the field but a handful of players, Jack included, have their own leadership roles at times.

“I think that is just the way I am,” Jack said. “Before games and during training and after training we all talk and reflect.

“But I think before games and at half time it is important we all have our say and we all get round each other and make sure we are ready for the game coming up.

“I think you do need it, of course you do, but everyone plays a part in different ways. Not everyone likes to shout and bawl or be vocal and have a say.

“Some people prefer to do their talking as soon as they cross the white line onto the pitch and that is fair enough.

“I think to have a successful squad you have all types of characters within it and we have a good mix at the minute.”

The contract that will keep Jack at Ibrox for the foreseeable future is a just reward for his efforts this term.

But it is collective success that is the main ambition for Gerrard and his players as they set their sights on Premiership and Scottish Cup glory in the second half of the campaign.

The signs of progress have been encouraging for the Ibrox crowd but there is still plenty of work to be done by everyone in Light Blue.

Jack said: “Since the manager, Gary (McAllister) and the staff have come in, pre-season they made it clear that we had shipped a lot of goals last season and we worked really hard and tirelessly on our fitness and the defensive side of the game.

“We started the season well defensively and over the course of the season we are doing OK. We really bought into it, pre-season was good, and now we are getting the benefit from that.”