Biography
Jack Hendry was born in Glasgow on May 7th 1995 and started his youth football career at Celtic when he joined their academy at the age of nine. After seven years of honing his skills at Celtic, Jack had spells in the academies of Peterborough and Dundee United before joining Partick Thistle on a free transfer in August 2014.
Jack featured regularly in Thistle's development squad in his first year in Maryhill before making his first-team debut on the final day of the 2014/15 season in a goalless draw against Motherwell at Fir Park.
After creating such a good first impression at Firhill, Jack signed a new one year contract in June 2015 and after an outstanding pre season, came on as a substitute in the opening game of the season away to Hamilton after only 29 minutes following a red card for Frédéric Frans. Playing alongside Liam Lindsay in defence, Jack helped Thistle keep a clean sheet as the match finished 0–0 and following the game it was reported that English Premier League club Everton had been watching the 6ft 4in centre half.
Everton weren’t the only English club watching Hendry as after just a further three appearances for Partick, he joined League One side Wigan Athletic on September 1st. Jack had to wait a month for his debut and it came in a Johnstone’s Paints Trophy match away at Crewe which The Latics won 3-2.
After playing in the next two rounds against Blackpool (a 4-0 win) and Barnsley (a 2-2 draw with The Tykes winning on penalties), Jack joined fellow League One side Shrewsbury Town in April and played in the final six games of the season.
With Wigan winning League One and promotion back into the Championship at the first attempt, Jack went out on loan until January, this time to League One side Milton Keynes Dons and made his debut in a 1-0 in a Checkatrade Cup win away at one of his former youth sides Peterborough United on October 6th.
Jack made his MK Dons league debut at home to Bristol Rovers a fortnight later and turned out 11 times in the next three months before returning to the DW Stadium.
With no further first team action for Wigan upon his return, Jack left on a free transfer in the summer and signed a two-year deal with Dundee in July. Manager Neil McCann had been aware of Jack’s attributes for a while and as well as his height making him a commanding presence in the air, he was very comfortable with the ball at his feet making him ideal for the style of play McCann was attempting to introduce at Dens Park.
Having signed on the Friday, Jack went immediately into the Dundee starting line up for a preseason friendly the following day at Abroath and made his competitive Dark Blue ten days later in the opening game of the 2017/18 season in a Betfred Cup tie away at Raith Rovers.
Lining up at centre half alongside captain Darren O’Dea, Jack had a debut to remember when he headed home an injury time winner to give The Dee an important 2-1 win.
Having come of the bench in the last group game at home to Dundee United, Jack started the second round, knock out tie against the same opposition and strolled through the game, giving experienced United forward Scott McDonald a torrid evening as The Dee knocked The Arabs out 2-1.
In the first Premiership game of the campaign at home to Ross County, Jack was on the scoresheet again against Ross County as he put his first Dundee man of the match performance and the Dark Blue support could already see what a valuable addition to the playing staff he was.
In the next few months, Hendry became a key figure in the heart of the Dundee defence and at Parkhead in October was the Dark Blues’ man of the match in a narrow 1-0 defeat which alerted Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers to his potential.
A month later Jack was superb in the 2-1 win over Rangers at Dens Park with Ibrox strikers Kenny Miller and Alfredo Morelos struggling to get past him all night.
By the time the transfer window opened in January rumours were abound in the press that he was set for a big move after just six months on Sandeman Street and Celtic Park became to look the most likely destination after Brendan Rodgers praised him publicly after The Dee’s most recent game against The Hoops.
Indeed, the East End of Glasgow was Jack’s next stop and after having had Dundee rebuff several of their offers, Celtic finally got their man in the last minutes of deadline day for a Dens Park club record fee.
Jack’s last game for Dundee came 24 hours earlier in a Scottish Cup replay away at Inverness, meaning he was cup tied for The Bhoys successful cup campaign and he left Dens Park after just 30 appearances. Despite the largest fee Dundee had ever received for a player, his departure left a huge hole in the centre of the Dark Blues’ defence and he made his Celtic debut three days later at Rugby Park.
Before Hendry even made his first Celtic appearance, Rodgers predicted that Jack would soon become a full internationalist and that prediction came true a month later when he made his Scotland debut in a 1-0 friendly away in Hungary.
His breakthrough so quickly into the international set up was no doubt due in part to the tremendous progress he had made at Dens Park and he would go on the Scotland summer tour to South and Central America, winning his second cap in the Azteca Stadium against Mexico in June.
Before that trip to Mexico and Peru (in which Jack was an unused sub) Hendry picked up a Ladbrokes Premiership winners medal after playing 11 games in their title run in which included the 3-2 win over Rangers at Ibrox and the 5-0 win over their Old Firm rivals at Celtic Park after the split which sealed the league championship.
The following season Jack has picked up vital European experience in the Champions League qualifiers against Alashkert, Rosenborg and AEK Athens and in the Europa League against RB Salzburg and RB Liepzig, as well as picking up his third Scotland cap in the friendly against Portugal at Hampden in October.
Unable to command a regular place in the Celtic side, he went out on loan to A-League side Melboune City but picked up a knee injury shortly after his arrival.
In July he joined Belgian side KV Oostende and scored the winner on his debut against KV Mechelen. In the summer Oostende made the loan move permanent after winning the Belgian Player of the Year.
Just two months later, Jack joined Club Brugge and starred in their 1-1 Champions League draw with PSG.
Jack was part of the Scotland squad which went to Euro 2020, featuring in the opening match against the Czech republic and in the build up to the tournament scored his first international goal in a 2-2 draw in the Netherlands.
