Jack Hendry exudes a feeling of contentment. The much-traveled Scotland defender, 28, is still at the top of his game. For that, being settled is necessary. Though it may not seem like the ideal place for some people to live, Hendry is performing well under Steven Gerrard at Al-Ittifaq in the Pro League.
And Hendry’s golden age is also helping Scotland. He hasn’t missed a single minute of club football this season. Additionally, he has taken on greater responsibility for his group, which is starting to put on a run of successful performances. After winning his 29th cap on Friday night against the Netherlands, he appears to be a more likely choice to go to Germany for Euro 2024 with Steve Clarke’s team.
Hendry said, “To be honest, I’m really enjoying my football.” I enjoy being a real focal point in defense and I like being the kind of leader Gerrard has made me in the back four. Any team needs a solid foundation, and we’ve been playing extremely well defensively in the league, placing us maybe in second place overall. That means a lot to me, and perhaps in the future we can excel together. I enjoy and thrive on the responsibility he’s probably given me to be a vital part of that back four.
Hendry was informed about the move by Clarke, and the leader of Scotland approved it. If Hendry had thought differently, he would have smiled and said, “We’ll never know the answer to that.” However, it’s clear that he values the national team manager’s opinion highly. Hendry said, “Being a part of that opening game this summer would mean the world to me, which is why I spoke with the manager before moving to Saudi Arabia.” My family and I think it’s the best, and we cherish it immensely. Having a discussion with the manager about it was essential. I have played every minute so far, which may be the most consistently that I have ever done in my career. I hope that playing against players of a higher caliber will benefit me in the Euros.
Hendry has come a long way since starting his career at Partick Thistle. He is able to list his previous teams as MK Dons, Wigan Athletic, Dundee, Celtic, Melbourne City, Oostende, Club Brugge, and Shrewsbury Town. That’s quite the list for someone his age. He’s thankful for everything he’s been through, but he gives special praise to Philippe Clement, the current Rangers manager, who was his head coach at Brugge.
“He signed me,” Hendry explained. He has been a major contributor to my development. At the time, I was grateful for him because the Champions League experience had made a big difference in my performance. He was really nice to me. I had numerous one-on-one sessions with him; he showed me clips of various center halves and what he believed I was capable of, and he genuinely believed in me. Although I was disappointed that his time at Monaco was cut short, his track record and skill as a manager speak volumes. He was a great coach and is well-versed in the game. He was difficult to beat mentally. He was highly motivated and desired success, so I felt that we were somewhat alike in that regard. I believe that every player respected him, looked up to him, and paid attention to what he had to say.
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