Jackson, a defender, initially joined Rangers straight from Ruthrieston School in 1962. He had a spell with Aberdeen side Sunnybank Athletic before rejoining the "Light Blues" in 1963. He made a total of 506 appearances for Rangers between 1963 and 1982 and during his time at Ibrox won 3 League championships, 3 Scottish Cups and 5 League Cups. In the 1978–79 Scottish League Cup Final, he scored a last-minute winning goal. Perhaps the biggest disappointment during his career came when he missed out on Rangers' victory in the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, having failed a fitness test prior to the game against Moscow Dynamo.