St Johnstone defender Richard Foster believes that Ryan Jack is the type of player Rangers badly need to slot into their engine room.

Rangers have snapped up Jack following the expiry of his contract with Aberdeen and the midfielder has put pen to paper on a three-year contract at Ibrox.




Foster played alongside Jack at Aberdeen and thinks the former Dons skipper is exactly the type of player Rangers need in midfield.

The St Johnstone man believes Jack will offer crucial protection to the Rangers backline, who he thinks have often been left exposed.
 


"What Rangers lacked last season – they had technically decent enough players, [Jon] Toral, [Emerson] Hyndman, that played latterly – in centre midfield but didn't have someone who will win the ball back, who will occupy a position that takes a bit of the pressure off the centre-backs", he said on BBC Scotland Sportsound.

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"Their full-backs like to play high.

"There was a lot of pressure last year on the Rangers centre-halves and I think a lot of the time they were unfairly criticised because they got no protection from either the sides or in front of them.

"I think Ryan Jack is a player who will definitely offer that and I think he's got a lot to offer going forward as well", Foster added.

Foster had a spell on loan at Rangers in the 2010/11 campaign, and played for the club on a permanent basis between 2013 and 2015.

He made over 200 appearances for Aberdeen during his spell at Pittodrie, during which time he turned out alongside Jack, allowing him a close quarters look at the midfielder.